Product ownership in scrum

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Product Owning

Kaimar Seljamäe

Software analystTieto,[email protected]

2010-11-132 © 2010 Tieto Corporation Agile Saturday

Agenda• Introduction• Customer expectations• Team expectations• What does the Product Owner do?• Preparation phase • Sprint planning meeting• During sprint• Sprint Review and Retrospective meeting• Waterfall + Scrum?


In short: the Product Owner…

• represents the voice of the customer

• ensures that the Scrum Team works with the “right things” from a business perspective


Source: http://www.microtool.de/instep/en/scrum.asp


Customer expectationsTo achieve business goals, I as a customer wish to:• declare the business priority of every User Story;• have an overall plan;• get the most possible value out of every development

week;• see progress in a running system;• change my mind, product functionality, priorities;• be informed of schedule changes.

Based on eXtreme Programming teamwork practices.


Team expectationsTo be productive, as a team member I expect:• clear and consistent description of expected result;• effective communication with domain experts;• quick feedback from customer;• freedom to plan my own work;• feeling that my commitment is appreciated;• being proud of what I do;• firm belief that success is possible;• reasonable freedom to choose tools and technology.


Source: http://www.microtool.de/instep/en/scrum.asp


What does the Product Owner do? (1)1. Creates and MAINTAINS the Product Backlog.

2. Prioritizes the Backlog according to business value or ROI.

3. Assists with the elaboration of Epics, Themes and Features into user stories that are granular enough to be achieved in a single sprint.

4. Conveys the Vision and Goals at the beginning of every Release and Sprint.

5. Represents the customer, interfaces and engages the customer.

…(continues)


What does the Product Owner do? (2)6. Participates in the Scrum meetings (daily Scrum, Sprint Planning,

Review and Retrospective).

7. Inspects the product progress at the end of every Sprint and has complete authority to accept or reject work done.

8. Can change the course of the project at the end of every Sprint.

9. Communicates status externally.

10. Terminates a Sprint if it is determined that a drastic change in direction is required.

See also: http://agile.dzone.com/articles/product-owner-top-10


Preparation phase (1)Envision the product

Goal: create common vision of the product

Means: • High level description in customer language (realistic dream)

• Prototype (visualizes the dream)

• High level Product Backlog

Verify with customer (yes, that’s what we want)

Verify with technical people (yes, it’s reasonable)

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Demo 1Prototype and vision document


Preparation phase (2)Elaborate Product Backlog

Goal: prioritized and estimated Product Backlog

Means:• User Stories (high level, epics)

• Vision document

• MindMap

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Demo 2Product backlog and mindmap


Preparation phase (2)Elaborate Product Backlog


Means:• User Stories (high level, epics)

• Vision document

• MindMap


Preparation phase (3)Elaborate Product Backlog (reviewed)


Goal: deepen the shared vision via intense communication

Goal: strengthen commitment

Means:• Get priorities from the customer

• Get estimates from the team

• User Stories (high level, epics)

• Vision document

• MindMap

• Prototype


Sprint planning meeting• Help to compose sprint backlog

• Set sprint goals, also refresh shared vision • Explain stories to team• Show scenarios on prototype• Ask team to review estimates

• Negotiate Sprint Backlog with the team• Publish User Stories to ScrumBoard

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Demo 3User Story card


ScrumBoard sample


During sprint• BE AVAILABLE for questions and discussion• Review User Stories• Review test stories • Participate in daily standup meetings• Offer help as needed to achieve sprint goals

• Elaborate User Stories and prototype for next sprint• Review and discuss test results (bug/feature?)


Sprint Review and Retrospective meeting• Introduce user stories• Ask to demonstrate each Story• Review test results• Accept stories, thank the team• Update Product Backlog, Product Burndown chart• Commit to Retrospective to help the team in getting better

• Make progress visible to team, customer, management• Encourage customer and users to give a try and give

feedback

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Demo 4Product burndown and mindmap


Waterfall + Scrum?

Fixed price

+ Fixed functionality

+ Fixed schedule

________________________________

Typical state procurement (riigihange)


Waterfall + Scrum?

Fixed price

+ Fixed functionality

+ Fixed schedule

________________________________

Typical state procurement (riigihange)

Can we Scrum? Yes!

Should we Scrum? Well, depends….


Waterfall + Scrum?• You can use Secret Scrum

• gain some advantages of the iterative development process

• Software business is not about technology but about effective communication in all levels.

• Win the trust of the customer.• Find out what the customer really needs. Work hard

towards a shared vision.• Chances are that “fixed” functionality is reviewed.


ConclusionGood Product Owner:• Builds up the product vision• Actively communicates the vision!• Is available to the team.

• Makes development process controllable by making it transparent to the customer

• Actively collects customer feedback and reacts timely

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Thank you!

Questions and answers…

Kaimar Seljamäe

Software analystTieto,[email protected]

Date post:	13-Jan-2015
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Product ownership in scrum

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