Ken Schwaber and Bob Payne chat about the product owner (PO) roll and the complexity that can emerge when we ask too much of the product owner. This has always been a key role and we have sometimes dode the project a disservice by focusing the PO on the needs of development.

We all know what it’s like to be frustrated with someone else when that person isn’t being as responsive as we would like. It’s especially easy to do when our own work or responsibilities are on the line. In this tale from Naomi Karten, she shows that a lack of response doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of care and explains how very important it is to have the full story before you get too worked up.

Jonathan Lindo describes examples of automated test infrastructure utilizing both open source and traditional, independent-software-vendor-sourced software. In addition, he discusses new techniques for extending the value of automated testing by transforming the process from defect finding to defect resolution by reducing the effort required to document, reproduce, and troubleshoot the defects generated from automated tests.

George and Bob Payne discuss the finer points of appropriately sizing user stories to ensure that they can be delivered. This is a fairly tricky process and is best figured out by experimentation and ensuring that you have good examples.