WHAT IS A PRODUCT OWNER ROLE
A Product Owner (PO) is a role on a Scrum team.
PO has a clear product vision and understands why the product is being built, the problem it aims to solve, and for whom.
PO's are responsible for comparing information that is gathered and making sure it aligns with the business goals, in order to maximize the current and future work that is to be completed.
PO interacts with these stakeholders and gains insights through techniques such as interviews, A/B testing, and market research.
PO conveys what the stakeholders want and shares feedback with the Scrum team.
PO works to ensure that there is a clear understanding amongst stakeholders and the team in the form of clear communication, a transparent, prioritized backlog, and a strategic product roadmap.
In Scrum, a product owner (PO) serves as the liaison between the development team and business stakeholders. These stakeholders include the users, supporters, and those impacted by the product.
To recap, a product owner’s main responsibilities are:
Serve as a liaison between business stakeholders, scrum team, and end users.
Create and maintain a healthy, transparent backlog of work to be done.
Hold and communicate the product’s vision and roadmap.
Maximize the value of work that is done.
WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO BECOME A PRODUCT OWNER
If you aren’t already working in tech, here are 7 reasons why working as a PO might be exciting.
You don't need to code. Whew!
You will get to work with expert developers who build effective products. As the product owner, you bridge the gap between stakeholders and technology without completing the coding yourself!"
High Demand:
Consistent growth in the number of Product Owner roles across various sectors
Agile is widely adopted, increasing the need for Product Owners.
Lucrative Salaries:
According to Glassdoor (June 2023), the estimated total pay for a Product Owner is $115,772 per year in the United States.
There can be a significant potential for financial growth with promotion
Remote Working Opportunities:
Ability to work from anywhere, offering work-life balance.
Engage with global teams and projects without geographical constraints.
Leveraging Existing Knowledge:
Utilize your existing industry/domain knowledge to provide unique insights.
Merge existing expertise with new Product Owner skills to offer valuable perspectives.
Applicability Across Industries:
Skills usable in various sectors - finance, healthcare, retail, e-commerce etc.
Opportunity to specialize in an industry of your interest
Meaningful and Creative Work
Facilitator of Strategic Solutions: You will get to guide/facilitate teams through business challenges, helping create strategies that connect with technical solutions.
You will be a communication bridge: You will get to ensure clear and accurate communication of business needs between technical (development) and business teams.
To get some actual scenarios of how PO works with the team, please watch my deep-dive video interview with Richard Seroter ( Director of Product @ Google) on the role of product owner.
If you are a visual learner, here is a great 15 minutes explainer youtube video on the Role of Product Owner (by Henrik Kniberg)
Cheers,
Vivek Khattri
