The Agile Product Manager

10 Key Traits of an Excellent Agile

Product Owner or Product Manager
Peter Saddington, CSM CSP
Enterprise Agile Coach
Thinqube Network, Inc.
AgileScout.com
@agilescout
Peter Saddington, CSP CSM
Independent Enterprise Agile Coach
Rally Software Agile Coach
Executive Editor AgileScout.com
Author – Scrum Pocket Guide
me@peter.ps
+1.404.669.6662
www.agilescout.com
www.scrumpocketguide.com
Twitter: @agilescout

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

• Thinqube Network, Inc offers a full range of services – from training
and consulting to Agile implementation and enterprise software
development coaching

• A leading provider of Agile consulting and coaching in the greater

Atlanta region and South East

• Headquartered in Atlanta, GA

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 10 Key Product Ownership
Characteristics

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 Agile Software Development

• Iterative and incremental development

– Smaller pieces of work

• Collaboration between self-organizing and

cross-functional teams
– Enabled, equipped, and supported teams

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 General Product Ownership Roles

• Tells the team what they need to build

• Creates the prioritized product backlog (list of what to
build)
• Represents the customer
• Elaborates requirements
• Participates in Scrum meetings
• Inspects the product at end
• Course corrects or change direction
• Communicate progress and vision

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 Product Owner is Part of the Team!

Product Owner

Developers
CSM / Project Manager

TEAM

Analysts QA

UI/UX

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 The Product Owner ‘Persona’

Why do I talk about Product Owner

characteristics or the ‘persona’ of a
Product Owner?

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 Oh no! What if that’s not me?

Relax 
These aren’t personality traits!

They are ways of equipping yourself to be

effective in an Agile team!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 Let’s Work Together!

HELP YOU
HELP US
HELP YOU
Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington
 #1 Engaged Leadership

The best Product Owners are engaged in the

entire process.

•An engaged Product Owner is a natural leader

•Through decisions, he shows he is committed to the
process and product

A dis-engaged Product Owner is circumvented

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #1 Engaged Leadership

Engaged Product Owners provide vision over

comprehensive documentation

•Lightweight work agreements with the team

•Lightweight strategy and game plans for the team
•Lightweight principles to work by
•Lightweight guardrails to keep the team in order

Create lightweight work agreements with your team!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #2 Available within Reason

The best Product Owners are available to the

team, but within reason.

•Break down any walls blocking consistent communication

to the team
•Be open to the needs of the team

A balanced approach here. Don’t babysit!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #2 Available within Reason

Available Product Owners support

availability over meetings.

•Be part of the daily 15 minute meetings

•Be part of the ceremonial Agile touch points
•Collocate yourself!

Change your schedule so you can be available to the team!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #3 Informed about the Product

The best Product Owners know the product

inside and out.

•Be a subject matter expert on not only the product but

also the market and beyond
•Begin to learn the technical side of things

New to a product or team? No problem… utilize the team

and others to grow your product knowledge!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #3 Informed about the Product

Informed Product Owners value decisiveness

over delegating.

•Equipped with your product knowledge, give firm

direction
•“The buck stops here.”
•Quick decisions keep things moving

Have a prepared priority list of features always ready!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #4 Empowered through Humility

The best Product Owners are empowered

with executive decisions.

•Show your empowered decision making through

informed decisions (it takes time to grow trust!)
•Be ready to be wrong, but learn through mistakes

Don’t be command and control. No team likes a warlock in

an ivory tower.

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #4 Empowered through Humility

Empowered Product Owners value

ownership over multi-level management.

•Be a single point of contact for the team

•Be a trusted resource for your team
•It’s your baby after all!

Be explicit with the team about where your decision

making has it’s boundaries and borders.

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #5 Prepared and Responsible

The best Product Owners are always

prepared and responsible.

•Be diligent in your role. Study, learn, grow!

•Be prepared to make decisions, your team needs it!
•Take ownership for the outcome of the product

Development teams are fickle, they’ll go to the nearest

“prepared” individual for better guidance if it’s not you!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #5 Prepared and Responsible

Prepared Product Owners value single

leadership over bureaucracy.

•The team needs a single voice (you!)

•You owe it to your team to be prepared

Build up a team’s trust in you through consistent feedback

and communication!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #6 Communicative in Nature

The best Product Owners are natural

communicators.

•Give undiluted concise direction to your team

•Different teams understand differently, adjust your
communication style if necessary
•Know how to speak ‘development’ language

Developers don’t respect/follow poor communicators.

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #6 Communicative in Nature

Communicative Product Owners value verification

over assumptions.

•Tell the team what you want / light documentation

•Have a conversation with us about acceptance criteria
•Verify with us that we’ve met your requirements
•Talk with us about how to improve
•We’ll tell you whether it’s easy/hard, cheap/expensive!

Be ready to verify completion of functionality!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #7 Agile and Flexible

The best Product Owners are agile and flexible.

•Understand that software development isn’t manufacturing

– not a hardened process, fluid
•Work collaboratively with a team when changes need to be
made or issues arise

Your ability to handle a changing environment shows

developers your ability to lead.

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #7 Agile and Flexible

Agile and flexible Product Owners value

flexibility over stubbornness.

•Have options. Be prepared to course correct

•Nobody wants to work for a donkey

Have a backlog of prioritized and sorted features you can

pick from when changes occur!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #8 Knowledgeable about History

The best Product Owners are crafted through

time.

•A deep understanding of your particular product lifecycle

•Seen successes and failures

While you may not have had 10+ years of experience,

continue to learn from your experiences!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #8 Knowledgeable about History

Knowledgeable Product Owners value

experience over tools.

•Stay up to date with the latest technology, but don’t let

tools override good judgment and historical precedents
•Study Product Management

Take time out of your busy schedule to learn. Grow your

craft!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #9 Sharing Success

The best Product Owners share success and

celebrate wins.

•We succeed and fail as a team

•Provide positive feedback to your team
•Be tactful about communicating negativity

Developers hate to lose just as much as you do. Don’t burn

them out. Celebrate the wins even if they are few!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #9 Sharing Success

Successful Product Owners value team

success over personal success.

•You are only as good as your team

•Helping your team succeed is your success

Take time to celebrate wins. The more often the better. Go

out. Celebrate!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #10 Fun and Reasonable

The best Product Owners are fun. Period.

•Serious people need not apply here…

•There are tough times, we understand…
•But nobody wants to be led by a humorless individual.

Bring life back into your team and product development

through fun activities, games, outings!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 #10 Fun and Reasonable

Fun Product Owners value team dynamics

over individualism.

•Teams that have fun together work well together

•Understand the people on your team. Know their names!

Study up on some fun games. Do one with you team

sooner rather than later!

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 FINAL WORDS

Product Ownership is…

•A big role.
•A valuable role.
•A team-centric role.
•A fun role.

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington

 Thanks Again!

Peter Saddington, CSM CSP

Enterprise Agile Coach

www.agilescout.com
www.scrumpocketguide.com
@agilescout (Twitter)

Thinqube Network, Inc. © 2011 Peter Saddington