Comments on: Enterprise Agility–The Big Picture (3): Role of the Product Owner http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/ Best Practices for Large Enterprises, by Dean Leffingwell Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:12:36 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Enterprise Agility-The Big Picture (7): Vision and Release Backlog « Scaling Software Agility http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1745 Enterprise Agility-The Big Picture (7): Vision and Release Backlog « Scaling Software Agility Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:11:35 +0000 http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1745 [...] enterprise agility in a single slide. In prior posts, we’ve discussed Teams, Iterations , the Agile Product Owner, Backlog, User Stories and the Iteration Backlog and the Release. In this post, we’ll discuss [...] [...] enterprise agility in a single slide. In prior posts, we’ve discussed Teams, Iterations , the Agile Product Owner, Backlog, User Stories and the Iteration Backlog and the Release. In this post, we’ll discuss [...]

]]> By: Enterprise Agility-The Big Picture (8): The Roadmap « Scaling Software Agility http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1741 Enterprise Agility-The Big Picture (8): The Roadmap « Scaling Software Agility Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:37:33 +0000 http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1741 [...] agility in a single slide. In prior posts, we’ve discussed Teams,  Iterations , the Agile Product Owner, Backlog, User Stories and the Iteration Backlog the Release and Vision and Release Backlog. In [...] [...] agility in a single slide. In prior posts, we’ve discussed Teams,  Iterations , the Agile Product Owner, Backlog, User Stories and the Iteration Backlog the Release and Vision and Release Backlog. In [...]

]]> By: Enterprise Agility-The Big Picture (11): The Release Management Team « Scaling Software Agility http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1729 Enterprise Agility-The Big Picture (11): The Release Management Team « Scaling Software Agility Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:20:56 +0000 http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1729 [...] In prior posts, we’ve discussed Agile Development Teams, Agile System Teams, Iterations , the Agile Product Owner, Backlog, User Stories and the Iteration Backlog the Release , Vision and Release Backlog , The [...] [...] In prior posts, we’ve discussed Agile Development Teams, Agile System Teams, Iterations , the Agile Product Owner, Backlog, User Stories and the Iteration Backlog the Release , Vision and Release Backlog , The [...]

]]> By: Enterprise Agility-The Big Picture (12): Architectural Runway « Scaling Software Agility http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1720 Enterprise Agility-The Big Picture (12): Architectural Runway « Scaling Software Agility Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:16:34 +0000 http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1720 [...] In prior posts, we’ve discussed Agile Development Teams, Agile System Teams, Iterations , Agile Product Owner, Backlog, User Stories and the Iteration Backlog , Release , Vision and Release Backlog , The [...] [...] In prior posts, we’ve discussed Agile Development Teams, Agile System Teams, Iterations , Agile Product Owner, Backlog, User Stories and the Iteration Backlog , Release , Vision and Release Backlog , The [...]

]]> By: Agile Enterprise Requirements Information Model – Subset for Agile Project Teams « Scaling Software Agility http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1495 Agile Enterprise Requirements Information Model – Subset for Agile Project Teams « Scaling Software Agility Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:48:12 +0000 http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1495 [...] is outside the scope of this post. For more on that role, see posts in the Product Owner and Big Picture 3: Role of the Product Owner [...] [...] is outside the scope of this post. For more on that role, see posts in the Product Owner and Big Picture 3: Role of the Product Owner [...]

]]> By: Still More on Agile Product Owner vs. Agile Product Manager- A New Whitepaper « Scaling Software Agility http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1489 Still More on Agile Product Owner vs. Agile Product Manager- A New Whitepaper « Scaling Software Agility Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:23:38 +0000 http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1489 [...] from readers. In the past, I’ve highlighted my opinions on the differing nature of the Agile Product Owner and Agile Product Manager roles at enterprise scale. This has stirred some interest and a little [...] [...] from readers. In the past, I’ve highlighted my opinions on the differing nature of the Agile Product Owner and Agile Product Manager roles at enterprise scale. This has stirred some interest and a little [...]

]]> By: malomo http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1311 malomo Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:51:55 +0000 http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1311 I want to expand a bit on the concept of trust. Agile forces a very interesting and powerful change with the Product Mgt and Development relationship. For years, it's always been the same story - PM asks for too much and Development delivers too little. It's been a conflict since the beginning of time and it's always the other person's fault. For the context of this post, I am going to declare one big assumption: that the product owner is properly skilled and has all the leadership characteristics listed above. The one I will add is that they should be a natural leader - more than anyone else, I believe the product is the person most responsible for keeping the team focused, motivated and engaged. A good product owner changes the conflict mentioned above - completely. Their alliance is with the team and as a result, the conflict switches from PM vs. Development to PM vs. PO. The PO is the person responsible for ensuring product management is happy with the results. I have seen numerous situations where the PO has passionately defended the team's performance. It's a wonderful thing... The product owner is also responsible for fostering and maintaining a solid relationship with the PM. If this doesn't happen, it will create significant issues because ultimately the true stakeholders will start to question the ability for agile to deliver better results. The PO becomes the bridge between PM and Development. The PO understands with specificity what it takes to develop SW. As a result of this shift in conflict, I personally believe all POs should report under the Product Management organization and NOT under development. Nothing changes from what Dean posts above - it's all still critical. The PO should be collocated. The PO's alliance is with the team. However, the dotted line (or direct line) relationship to the PM creates a needed balance of power. We are not structured in this manner and we are seeing issues with decisions on priorities, etc. In most cases, it's been a situation where the PO doesn't report to the PM. I want to expand a bit on the concept of trust. Agile forces a very interesting and powerful change with the Product Mgt and Development relationship. For years, it’s always been the same story – PM asks for too much and Development delivers too little. It’s been a conflict since the beginning of time and it’s always the other person’s fault.

For the context of this post, I am going to declare one big assumption: that the product owner is properly skilled and has all the leadership characteristics listed above. The one I will add is that they should be a natural leader – more than anyone else, I believe the product is the person most responsible for keeping the team focused, motivated and engaged.

A good product owner changes the conflict mentioned above – completely. Their alliance is with the team and as a result, the conflict switches from PM vs. Development to PM vs. PO. The PO is the person responsible for ensuring product management is happy with the results. I have seen numerous situations where the PO has passionately defended the team’s performance. It’s a wonderful thing…

The product owner is also responsible for fostering and maintaining a solid relationship with the PM. If this doesn’t happen, it will create significant issues because ultimately the true stakeholders will start to question the ability for agile to deliver better results. The PO becomes the bridge between PM and Development. The PO understands with specificity what it takes to develop SW.

As a result of this shift in conflict, I personally believe all POs should report under the Product Management organization and NOT under development. Nothing changes from what Dean posts above – it’s all still critical. The PO should be collocated. The PO’s alliance is with the team. However, the dotted line (or direct line) relationship to the PM creates a needed balance of power.
We are not structured in this manner and we are seeing issues with decisions on priorities, etc. In most cases, it’s been a situation where the PO doesn’t report to the PM.

]]> By: Graham Yost http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1310 Graham Yost Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:05:52 +0000 http://scalingsoftwareagility.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/enterprise-agility%e2%80%93the-big-picture-3-role-of-the-product-owner/#comment-1310 "This in turn, requires a reasonable degree of technical competence as the language of discussion and the foundation for effective decision making is driven by the technology of the implementation. In addition, continuous refactoring is integral to agile, and since the product owner owns the backlog, prioritizing refactors vs. value stories is a critical skill that requires a technical foundation." Sorry to disagree, but you seem to be espousing a separation between PM and PO, and your definition above of a "Product Owner" sounds like nothing more than a renamed Tech manager. Perhaps having the PO report directly to the PM as malamo suggests above would help somewhat, but overall this sounds very contrary to the idea of self-managing Scrums. “This in turn, requires a reasonable degree of technical competence as the language of discussion and the foundation for effective decision making is driven by the technology of the implementation. In addition, continuous refactoring is integral to agile, and since the product owner owns the backlog, prioritizing refactors vs. value stories is a critical skill that requires a technical foundation.”

Sorry to disagree, but you seem to be espousing a separation between PM and PO, and your definition above of a “Product Owner” sounds like nothing more than a renamed Tech manager.

Perhaps having the PO report directly to the PM as malamo suggests above would help somewhat, but overall this sounds very contrary to the idea of self-managing Scrums.

]]>