Roman Pichler: The Product Owner [Video]

HoA #38: An Introduction

In this energizing 38th hands-on Agile session, Roman Pichler delves into your questions on the role of the product owner. The topics range from product manager vs. product owner vs. business analyst to the right size of a product backlog to linking product vision to product goal and sprint goal.

The Ask-Me-Anything With Roman Pichler on the Product Owner

During the session, Roman addresses the following questions:

1. A product owner is an expert in product management, i. e., a product manager who takes on the product owner role within a Scrum team. My colleague thinks that’s not the case. What do you think?
2. At my organization, they have made a “division” of the product owner role because they have come to believe that product owners cannot do everything. So now we have product managers (who look after commercials and customers) and product owners (who work with the team, so typical scrum product owners). How can this setup be ever successful? How do you tell the “high-up” that this model is not efficient (if that is the case)? And if, for some reason, it is a good model, how do we manage product managers to stop believing they are sitting on a high horse and are managing the product owners? Subsequent: what does the organization have to do to avoid this division of the role?
3. How can the combination of “product management” for the strategy and so-called “solution proposals” and “product owner” for the operational part work well together in a company? Does this make sense? If so, when?
4. In the context of a company developing software for another company (B2B), What would you say are the differences between a product owner role (customer), product manager role, and business analyst role (provider)
5. What would be three must-haves for a product owner?
6. I’m wondering what was the best way (advice, facilitation technique, simply being there to listen — anything) a Scrum Master has ever helped you as a product owner or a team you’ve worked with? 
7. What do you consider a good size for a manageable product backlog?
8. Linking product vision to product goals and sprint goals: what’s the difference between vision and mission, and do you think it really matters? (P.S Thank you for writing in this area; it has been super helpful.)

Please note that the questions were slightly edited to improve readability.

Connect With Roman Pichler

Roman Pichler is a product management expert specializing in digital products and Agile practices. Roman has taught product managers and product owners and advised product leaders for more than 15 years; he has been involved in product management and Agile software development for more than 20 years.