Organizing to Fulfill the Product Owner Role

At Yahoo!, the product owner role is defined as the "single wringable neck" who ensures that software products and projects deliver value. Many organizations struggle to fill this role that collaborates with stakeholders to define value and manage a backlog, provides tactical support to the delivery team, and directs the product and project vision and roadmap. For most organizations, the reality is that it takes a whole team of people to fill this role. Ronica Roth begins with a quick overview of the product owner responsibilities, particularly in the context of the five levels of agile planning. She then presents patterns and examples for organizing product and customer groups in product companies, consulting shops, and internal IT departments. Soliciting your ideas, Ronica leads a discussion of the successes and challenges of those patterns and of your experiences with them. Gain new ideas about how to organize your product and customer group to support value delivery.