The main responsibilities of a PO are to have a clear product vision, a strategic roadmap and knowing how to manage stakeholders effectively. It’s crucial that the PO involves all of the product stakeholders, so they can take part in the development of the product. One of the great things about agile product development is that it makes sure that all the stakeholders are involved in the product and project from start to end, in a cooperative environment. Working agile also allows you to learn whilst working on the product, and it’s a great way to collaborate within the company and to keep focusing on the goals.

Building trust

Alongside effective stakeholders management, building trust has been highlighted as a driver of success. The communication should be planned thoroughly and the Scrum ceremonies are an effective tool, especially the demo! If the communication fails, the PO should focus on understanding what drives the audience, metaphors are a powerful tool to explain something even further, find someone that can act as a translator, and make the team use the product.

Shared product vision

The product vision and the strategic roadmap need to be shared and updated continuously, and it’s preferred to present them visually. When it comes to the product development, it’s important to have an understanding of that it’s not only an IT project, but that there is much more to the product than the actual application. Marketing efforts and sales deliverables should be integrated into the development sprints, and it’s helpful when the whole company is aware of the same sprint heartbeat.