The product owner in Scrum is a very busy guy/girl. S/he’s got to:
- Define features of the product (or desired outcome)
- Decide release date and content
- Ensure profitability
- Prioritise features/outcomes
- Adjust priorities
- Accept or reject work
Does this person really exist? Is it possible that somebody can be found to do this job; that has the subject matter expertise and the authority to make big decisions all wrapped up in one person? That’s a busy person. And isn’t it likely that somebody like that is too busy to participate in the Scrum team on a daily (insert time period you prefer here depending on how ‘Scrummy’ you are) basis?
So we come on to the subject of the proxy product owner. Where is this defined in Scrum? Roman Pichler at the Aglie Alliance writes:
Using a proxy product owner is an attempt to superficially treat a systemic issue. Rather than employing a quick fix, organizations should address the underlying issues. This might require freeing up the product owner from other obligations; colocating the product owner, ScrumMaster, and team; or even finding a new product owner.
http://www.scrumalliance.org/articles/168-common-product-owner-traps
So is this Product Owner a logical role or a physical role? I think it’s supposed to be a physical role i.e. one person does it. I was talking to the owner of an Agile consultancy recently, and he said he’d never met one. I’ve never met one either. Sometimes I get the feeling that Scrum dictates what the world should be like and the world struggles to fit the definition and that’s frustrating. Which is flawed, the world or the Scrum definition?
What was wrong with Project sponsor, Responsible owner, Subject matter expert and Story Teller? After all, these are the competencies the Product Owner is being asked to exhibit. No wonder it’s hard to find this guy/gal. Maybe s/he’s a unicorn.