Product owner: role in Scrum teams

Artyom Dovgopol

The Product Owner is like a conductor — guiding the process without playing every instrument😉

Key takeaways 👌

Who’s the Product Owner?

So, if we think about your project as a ship, where the Scrum Master is the captain who oversees all the vital workflows, the development team members are sailors who perform the duties required to keep the ship afloat, then the Product Owner is the navigator setting the course through treacherous storms.

The Product Owner governs the team’s actions in Scrum and Agile. He makes all the important decisions that determine how the product will develop to stay aligned with users’ needs and long-term business goals. His main goal is task prioritization, ensuring that the team works on truly valuable actions rather than something that can wait a healthy amount of time.

For many teams, those “truly valuable actions” are tied directly to revenue channels — for example, a stable, conversion-driven online store. A focused Product Owner will often prioritize work around the main sales platform first, whether that’s a custom marketplace or a dedicated eCommerce website that needs to be fast, reliable, and easy to scale.

Without a head chef, no restaurant will achieve success. Similarly, no product can be successful without a Product Owner

What does the Product Owner do?

• Oversees the Product Backlog. Keeps track of all high-priority tasks and assignments, making sure that the team focuses on what’s important.
• Keeps the team aligned with what the market needs. Takes decisive action on what functionality the product will have according to user feedback.
• Makes sure that teams collaborate. The Scrum Master, development team, and other responsible parties must work in close tandem for maximum efficiency. The Product Owner ensures that all teams are working together and aligned with the product’s vision.
• Forms the product’s identity. The Product Owner knows and understands the pains of users more than anyone else, so all the important decisions about what kind of product the team will produce in the end are his responsibility.
  That identity often has to extend into self-service and post-purchase experiences as well. A PO who thinks beyond “just the site” will push for a robust account area for customers — where users can manage orders, invoices, subscriptions, and support in one place instead of constantly pinging the team.
• Keeps potential risks as potential as they can be. The Product Owner is the master of adaptability and is always ready to adjust to changing currents to keep the product as valuable as possible.
• Performs quality checks on the product. The Product Owner ensures that the end product meets all industry standards and requirements.

Product Owner in Agile

As is usually the case, the Product Owner’s responsibilities don’t end with “tracking tasks and priorities” – it’s a lot more complex than that, especially in teams operating under Scrum or Agile methodologies. The Product Owner is the team’s strategist, always on the lookout for ways to improve the product and make it more valuable to the market.

So, if a Scrum Master’s responsibility is to oversee that all team members follow the established methodology, and the development team’s duty is to accomplish high-value tasks, then the Product Owner decides which tasks are actually high-value and keeps both parties aligned with the company’s long-term goals.

And a bit more about business development...

Want to learn more ways to grow your business? Check out our article Social media integration: How to set up and use it for business

Product Owner key skills

There are quite a few vital skills that every Product Owner should have to successfully perform their duties:

Communication. The Product Owner should know how to clearly transmit their ideas to every team member, minimizing confusion and misunderstandings. Being the team’s diplomacy master, the PO doesn’t just bark orders to the team but actually explains their importance.

Analytical thinking. The PO needs to understand the market and its current needs. How is that done? By taking long looks at trends, user feedback, and all the data and metrics related to the industry.
For digital products, that analysis often includes traffic and acquisition quality too. A PO who understands how organic channels work can better prioritize initiatives around content, technical SEO, and link building — treating search visibility as part of the product’s value, not just a marketing afterthought.

Flexibility and adaptability. Agile is all about constant changes. The PO is always ready for these changes and knows exactly how to build the product so it can withstand the pressure of constantly shifting tides.

Time and priority management. As we’ve already stated many times, POs are all about priorities. So it’s fair to say that every Product Owner should know how to multitask while keeping their eyes on the prize.

Deep understanding of business processes and the product. The PO absolutely must understand what the product is all about and how this “all about” fits into the established business strategy.

Conclusion

The role of the Product Owner in a Scrum and Agile team is critically important for successful product development. They manage the Product Backlog, make strategic decisions, and help the team focus on the most valuable features. Without a capable Product Owner, a team can lose focus, leading to ineffective development. This person determines what product will be created and ensures it meets both user needs and business goals.

Recommended reading 🤓

“The Professional Product Owner”, Don McGreal

A guide to maximizing value with Scrum, emphasizing the importance of the Product Owner role.

On Amazon

“Scrum Product Ownership”, Robert Galen

A book focusing on the Product Owner's role in Scrum, with practical tips and real-world examples.

On Amazon

“Practical Scrum: Rapid Product Development”, Jeb Riordan

A practical guide to fast product development with Scrum, covering roles and responsibilities of team members.

On Amazon