Unpopular Opinion but ... Product Owners Are Not Product Managers (And Why That Matters)

Picture this: You're at a tech conference, sipping your third cup of coffee, when you overhear someone say, "Oh, Product Owners and Product Managers? Same thing, right?" You nearly choke on your latte. As someone who's been navigating the choppy waters of the tech industry since two decades, I can tell you – that's like saying a captain and a navigator are the same because they're both on a ship. I've witnessed firsthand the confusion between those and the problems it can cause.

So, let's dive into this contentious topic and clear the air, shall we?

Product Owner, a role in Scrum

Let's start by clarifying the role of a Product Owner,the unsung hero of the Scrum framework. According to the Scrum Guide, a Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. Their primary responsibilities include:

1. Crafting and communicating the Product Goal (think: "We're going to build the next big social media app, but for dogs!")
2. Creating and managing the Product Backlog (aka the team's to-do list, but way cooler)
3. Prioritizing backlog items (because let's face it, the "barking" feature is probably more important than the "tail wagging" animation)
4. Keeping the backlog transparent, visible and understood (no, "It's obvious" is not a user story)

Think of the PO as the sprint-to-sprint tactical leader : they are making sure your agile team doesn't end up building a horse when the customer asked for a car. They're focused on the here and now, making sure each sprint delivers value to its users and/or customers.

Product Manager, a strategic function within a Product led company?

On the other hand, we have the Product Manager (PM). As Marty Cagan, the Yoda of product management, puts it in his book "Inspired": "The job of a product manager is to discover a product that is valuable, usable, and feasible." (Cagan, M. (2017). Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love. Wiley.)

Think of the PM as the chess player in the product world, always thinking five moves ahead. Their responsibilities include:

1. Market research (because building something nobody wants is so last season)
2. Defining product vision and strategy (the "why" behind the "what")
3. Creating and maintaining the product roadmap (like a GPS for your product, but with more pivots)
4. Collaborating with various teams (herding cats, but make it professional)

PMs are the big picture thinkers, responsible about the end-to-end product lifecycle and its long term value for the company, making sure their product aligns with business goals and market needs faster than you can say "pivot."

The Origins of Confusion: A Brief History of "Oops"

Now, you might be thinking, "But wait, don't these 2 things sound kind of similar?" And you'd be right – like distant cousins at a family reunion, they look similar as they do share some DNA.

The confusion between Product Owners (POs) and Product Managers (PMs) isn't entirely surprising. Both roles are crucial in product development, and they do share some similarities. In some organizations, especially smaller ones or those new to agile methodologies, a Product Manager might also take on the Product Owner role.

In fact, a survey by Product Side found that in companies doing agile, 70% of Product Managers also play the role of Product Owner (source). This dual responsibility often lead to confusion about the distinctions between the roles.? You might be wondering, "So what? Why does this matter?"

Well, buckle up, because confusing these roles can lead to more problems than a software release on Friday afternoon.

1. Strategic Myopia: When POs are mistaken for PMs, companies risk focusing too much on short-term deliverables and losing sight of the big picture. It's like being so focused on perfecting your dance moves that you forget you're on a sinking ship. Without a seasoned PM to steer the product strategy, you might end up with a beautifully executed product that nobody wants.
2. Backlog Bloat: On the flip side, when PMs are forced into PO roles without proper support, the product backlog can become a dumping ground for every "cool idea" that pops up. Before you know it, your backlog looks like a hoarder's garage sale, and prioritization becomes a nightmare.
3. Team Frustration: Development teams need clear direction. When the PO/PM roles are muddled, the team might find themselves constantly shifting gears between strategic initiatives and tactical deliverables. It's like trying to drive a car where the GPS and the road signs are giving conflicting directions.
4. Missed Market Opportunities: PMs are responsible for identifying market trends and opportunities. Without this role clearly defined, your product will miss the boat on emerging trends, leaving you as relevant as a floppy disk in a world of cloud storage.
5. Career Stagnation: For the individuals in these roles, the confusion can lead to career frustration. POs might find themselves unexpectedly responsible for tasks they're not trained for, while PMs might feel their strategic skills are being underutilized.

In essence, confusing Product Owners and Product Managers is like trying to play chess and checkers on the same board – it might seem similar at first glance, but you'll end up with a mess that satisfies no one. By clearly defining and respecting these distinct roles, organizations can ensure they're not just building the product right, but building the right product.

The roots of this confusion can be traced back to the rise of agile practices : as they gained popularity, many organisations jumped on the bandwagon without fully grasping the nuances. It was like everyone showing up to a costume party dressed as "Agile" but interpreting it differently – some as scrum masters, others as product owners, and a few probably as actual scrums from rugby.

Enter SAFe: Making Things "Simple" (Or Not)

Just when we thought we had it figured out, along came the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). With all the best intentions, SAFe introduced its own definitions of Product Managers and Product Owners, completed with a hierarchical relationship that would make an org chart blush.

According to SAFe: the SAFe Product Manager is like the orchestra conductor, setting the overall vision and strategy. They're busy:

• Define the product vision, strategy, and roadmap. ("We'll be the Uber of pet grooming!")
• Conduct market research and analysis to identify customer needs and market trends.
• Prioritize product features based on business value and strategic alignment.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure product-market fit and customer satisfaction.

The SAFe Product Owner, on the other hand, is more like the first chair violinist, focused on delivering specific product increments. They're:

• Act as the voice of the customer within the development team.
• Prioritize and refine the product backlog.(Like Marie Kondo, but for user stories)
• Ensure the product backlog is aligned with the product vision and strategy.
• Collaborate with the development team to understand technical constraints and trade-offs.
• Make decisions on product features and functionality.

The SAFe Product Manager and the SAFe Product Owner work together in a hierarcical relationship:

• Alignment: The Product Owner ensures that their work aligns with the overall product vision and strategy set by the Product Manager.
• Prioritization: The Product Manager provides strategic guidance on feature prioritization, while the Product Owner ensures the backlog is prioritized effectively at the team level.
• Communication: Regular communication and collaboration between the two roles are essential for ensuring a shared understanding of product goals and objectives.
• Decision-making: While the Product Owner makes decisions at the team level, the Product Manager provides oversight and guidance on strategic decisions.

This hierarchical vision of the relationship is enforced by the introduction of additional r?les such as Solution Managers, who lead PMs who leads POs.

The problem with this approach: The Strategy-Execution Split.

In this model:

• Product Managers own strategy and discovery (The "thinking" part)
• Product Owners focus solely on delivery and backlog management (The "doing" part)

That implementation -? IMHO - is fundamentally designed for project-mindset organizations, such as large IT departments that work on projects and programs will low / none discovery needs thus low iterations (think: updating that internal tool from 1999), it's not optimal for for product-driven companies exploring new markets and iterating fast. For those high paced environment, this approach leads to:

• A disconnect between strategic goals and day-to-day execution (Like planning a road trip but forgetting to put gas in the car)
• Lack of feedback loop from execution back to strategy (Imagine if Spotify never knew which playlists you actually listened to)
• Increased potential for conflicting priorities (Should we focus on user acquisition or retention? Why not both!)

Bridging the Gap: Collaboration is Key - so does Education !

So, how do we fix this mess? It's simple – we need to recognize and respect the distinction between (the agile role) Product Owners and (the function) Product Managers.

Key points to remember:

• If your company build products : you need Product Managers (PM)
• When a PM works with agile teams that use SCRUM, they may need to fulfill PO duties in addition to their strategic PM work. This requires careful balancing of long-term strategy with short-term execution.
• PO certification ≠ PM expertise: Attending a two-day Product Owner certification course does not equate to becoming a Product Manager. Product Management requires a broader skill set and typically years of experience across various aspects of business and technology.
• Career Trajectories: Product Owner is generally not considered a career in itself, but rather a role one might play as part of a broader product or project management career. In contrast, Product Management is a well-established career path with clear progression.
• Also : some teams don't need Product Owners (i will write another article on this one)

By clarifying role and function, we set ourselves up for success. So, the next time someone suggests that a Product Owner and a Product Manager are the same thing, you'll know better. And who knows? You might just save your organisation from a world of confusion and misaligned organisational mess.

Hungry for more insights on this topic? I highly recommend diving into these books:

• "Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love", "Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products" and "Transformed: Becoming a Product-driven Company" by Marty Cagan => The Product Management bible, basically ??
• "The Product Manager's Survival Guide" by Steven Haines ... For when you're wondering if you've made a huge mistake ??
• "Agile Product Management with Scrum" by Roman Pichler
• "The Lean Product Playbook: How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback" by Dan Olsen
• "Strong Product People: A Complete Guide to Developing Great Product Managers" by Petra Wille
• " The Professional Product Owner: Leveraging Scrum as a Competitive Advantage" by Don McGreal and Ralph Jocham
• and "Practical Product Management for Product Owners: Creating Winning Products with the Professional Product Owner Stances" by Chris Lukassen and Robbin Schuurman

Let's Continue the Conversation ???

I'm always eager to hear different viewpoints and experiences on this topic. Have you encountered role confusion in your organisation? How did you address it? Or perhaps you have a success story of clear role definition to share?

Don't hesitate to reach out – let's connect and exchange ideas. After all, in the world of product development, continuous learning and adaptation are key to success. Who knows? Your insights might just inspire my next article! ??

#ProductManagement #AgileMethodology #TechIndustry #ProductStrategy