Product Ownership

1. Product Vision

   The Product Owner is the spokesperson for the product vision and works closely with business stakeholders to define and continuously focus the vision on user value. The product vision generally reflects topics such as: 

   • User segments, their needs and how the product will help them. 
   • The specific pain points to be solved with the product. 
   • Existing alternatives and how they compare to the product. 
   • Unique or “unfair” advantages delivered by the product.  
   • Key objectives, such as the product North Star.
2. Product Framing

   Every product design initiative starts with a series of workshops to frame the collaboration - workshops being a tool used all along the product lifecycle. This stage is under the responsibility of the Product Designer and Product Owner. They will work together with key stakeholders and decision makers from your team to build consensus around project scope and boundaries (e.g. using Design Thinking methodology). This phase covers a high-level outline of the expertise, means, actions, and processes needed to deliver the expected outcomes. 

   Product framing is a strategic stage in product design, during which both the Product Owner and Product Designer have important roles to play: 

   • The Product Owner is responsible for providing a clear business case for the product and outlining the desired outcomes. This could include listing specific features and benefits, as well as discussing any desired goals or objectives that the product should meet.
   • The Product Designer will clarify current user needs and behaviors, set design requirements, and provide feedback on product usability. 
   • Both the Product Owner and Product Designer will work together to answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and provide feedback on potential designs for the product.
3. Alignment on Product-related Processes and Tools

   Once the product framing stage is completed, we will work together to define all processes and tools necessary to conduct the project. This alignment covers:

   • Product processes
   • Next workshops
   • Planning milestones
   • Tools to use
4. Connection between Product and Business

   The Product Owner is the link between the product and the rest of the business, ensuring that all parties have a clear understanding of what is being achieved and the ways in which it can be achieved.

   To encourage alignment, the PO is responsible for:

   • Ensuring team collaboration with stakeholders
   • Making sure everyone collaborates to work towards the product vision and maximize the product value
5. User Behaviour Analysis

   Understanding user behavior is key to understanding how users interact with your product. By conducting user behavior analysis, we take a data-driven approach to product design, which helps inform product decisions with validated insights. This approach ensures the completed product maximizes client reach.

   In a typical user behavior analysis, we collect and analyze data from multiple sources, covering:             

   • Experience trends benchmarking
   • User research
   • User tests data
   • User feedback

    

   We conduct this analysis at two key stages of product design. The first stage takes place during the "Discovery" phase before project development. The second comes after the development to align expectations versus results, enabling necessary changes to be made.

   Both the Product Owner and the Product Designer are responsible for understanding user behavior and creating a product that meets user needs. The Product Owner focuses on the overall vision and roadmap to serve business objectives and features, while the Product Designer is responsible for creating the user interface and experience to serve the usage. Together, they work to ensure that the product is successful and meets the needs of both the users and the business.

6. Product Roadmap

   The Product Roadmap is the simplified road from where the product is today until its destination. It represents an action plan that describes the vision, direction, priorities, and progress of a product over time.

   The Product Owner elaborates and manages the product roadmap keeping in mind that:

   • The roadmap reflects the product vision.

   Translating a product vision into reality requires a roadmap that guides the development team first to initial launch (achieving what’s often called a Minimum Viable Product, or MVP) and onward toward additional functionalities and features to be created down the line.  

   • The roadmap is the reference for the business and must be updated according to the long-term goals.

   The Product Owner manages this Product Roadmap as a continuously evolving "macro plan” that aligns all stakeholders around short-term and long-term goals.  

   • The roadmap is the reference for all product-related matters.

   On a day-to-day basis, the Product Roadmap represents a shared source of truth regarding the direction, priorities, progress and forecast for product iteration.

7. Product Backlog

   The product backlog represents an ordered list of items (features, changes and bugs) needed to achieve the product goal and characterizes the “single source of work” to be completed by the team.

   The Product Owner collaborates with stakeholders to elicit, refine and prioritize backlog items, an emergent process which continues along the entire product life cycle. Products no longer require a backlog only when they are retired.

   The backlog should be refined “just enough” such that items at the top – those to be worked in the next 2-3 sprints – are fully elaborated, while items below may be less refined and may require significant work to be made “ready.”

8. Formalized Outcomes for Product-related Events

   Throughout the entire product lifecycle, you will get a clear overview of the progress made. This includes: 

   • Outcomes from the workshops
   • Product Committee reports
   • Formalized sprint goal and conclusion                  
9. Product Marketing Support

   If the profile has a marketing proficiency, the Product Owner can provide additional support in the following ways:

   • Product promotion
   • Communication content creation
   • Advertising creation
   • Go-to-market messaging