Tag Archives: product owner

The Agile Product Owner Responsibilities

| March 24, 2016

In theory, the product owner’s responsibilities are simple: The individual should maximise the value the product creates according to the Scrum Guide. But what does this mean in practice? In reality, the application of the product owner role varies greatly, as products and organisations differ. But my experience shows that there are two key factors that determine the duties of a product owner: the scope and the depth of ownership. This blog post discusses these two factors to help you apply the role successfully.

10 Leadership Qualities of Successful Product Managers

| March 9, 2016

Learn how to develop 10 important leadership qualities that help you become a successful product manager and effective product leader. Grouped in pairs, the qualities balance and complement each other.

How to Choose the Right Product Management Leadership Styles

| January 12, 2016

Succeeding in product management requires more than having the right product expertise. While creating a valid product strategy, developing an actionable product roadmap, and effectively prioritising features are undoubtedly important, these skills are not enough. You also have to successfully lead others and apply the right leadership styles, as I explain in this article.

Why User Stories Fail

| October 22, 2015

User stories are a powerful agile technique to describe requirements from the perspective of the customers and users. Unfortunately, I find it not uncommon that user stories are applied unsuccessfully and fail. This post describes two common failure causes and discusses how you can avoid them.

Size Matters: Big vs. Small Product Owner

| June 23, 2015

Product owners come in different shapes and sizes. That’s only natural: The application of the role varies depending on the product and the company. Being a product owner of a brand-new product in a startup differs from looking after a mature offering in a large enterprise. But there are two common types: big and small product owners. Which one are you? And is your product ownership level right?

Which UX Skills should Product Owners and Product Managers have?

| January 20, 2015

Providing a great user experience is a must for many digital products, and user experience (UX) design has consequently become prominent in recent years. Does this mean that product owners and product managers should become UX experts? Who should design the UX and which UX skills should product owners and product managers have? Read on to find out my recommendations.

The Product Owner’s Checklist for the First Sprint

| December 17, 2014

Scrum is a popular agile framework for developing a product with the right features and the right technologies. Unfortunately, it does not state the prerequisites for kicking off a Scrum project and for starting the first sprint. As a consequence, I find it not uncommon that product managers and product owners are unsure about the work they should do prior to the first sprint. This post offers a checklist to help you do the right upfront product management work.

The Product Owner’s Guide to the Sprint Retrospective

| June 17, 2014

The sprint retrospective is a key mechanism in Scrum to improve the way people work. This article shares my tips on how you can use the meeting as the person in charge of the product to strengthen connections and improve the work.

Every Great Product Owner Needs a Great Scrum Master

| March 26, 2014

The Scrum product owner and the Scrum Master are two separate roles that complement each other. To do a great job, product owners need a strong Scrum Master at their side. Unfortunately, I find that there is often a lack of Scrum Masters who can support the product owner. Sometimes there is confusion between the roles, or there is no Scrum Master at all. This post explains the differences between the two roles, what product owners should expect from their Scrum Master, and what the Scrum Masters are likely to expect from them.

Data Analysis Tips for Product Managers and Product Owners

| February 4, 2014

Data analysis might sound a bit nerdy, but it should be part of every product manager’s and product owner’s tool box. The idea is simple: Investigate the data gathered, learn form it, and use the new knowledge to create a successful product. In theory, that’s easy. But in practice, it can be challenging. The following tips help you get the most of your data analysis efforts.