Business Analyst to Product Owner: Making the Leap By Jason Novack and Brian Bozzuto of BigVisible Solutions

1. Business Analyst to Product Owner:
Making the Leap
November 2, 2011
Jason Novack
Brian Bozzuto
BigVisible Solutions

2. What is a Product Owner?
• Responsible for the business value of the project
(scrumalliance.org)
• Responsible for maximizing the value of the
product and the work of the Development Team.
(scrum.org)
2

3. What do we know about PO’s?
• Responsible for defining product vision
• Has to be able to articulate a strategy to achieve the vision
• Defines and prioritizes the product backlog
• Makes decisions on product direction
• Maps the product vision to development stories
• Accepts work results
• Responsible for ROI
• Voice of the customer
• Stakeholder funnel which all requests flow through
• Has to make decisions to move things forward with limited
information
3

4. Where do good PO’s come from?
4

5. Technology Experience
• Flow of development
• Appreciation for details
• Understanding of team dynamics
5

6. Decision Making
• Decisive
• Willing to make
mistakes
• Rarely have all the data
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7. Domain Knowledge
• Knowledge supports speed
• Shortens feedback loops
• Builds trust with customers/users
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8. Story time….
Question: Can an airplane fly powered only by the pilot’s body power?
Kramer Challenge: £50,000 for the first person to build a plane that
could fly a figure eight around two markers one half-mile apart AND
£100,000 for the first person to fly across the English Channel.
How would you approach winning this challenge? Keep in mind
the tools of the day… 8

9. Exercise
The Kramer challenge:
• Build a human powered plane that can fly a figure eight around two
markers one half-mile apart
• Build a human powered plane that can fly across the English Channel
Break into groups of 3 – 4 and spend roughly 5 minutes discussing how you
would approach winning this challenge?
Keep in mind the tools of the day…
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10. Here’s what happened
18 Years
Many attempts
Source: wikipedia
All Failed
Source: http://weblab.open.ac.uk/firstflight/ 10

11. Another angle
Question: Can an airplane fly powered only by the pilot’s body power?
Question: How can you build a plane that could be rebuilt in hours not
months?
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12. Gossamer Condor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Condor 12

13. Gossamer Albatross
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross 13

14. What are the lessons?
• When you are solving
something hard, re-ask
the problem so your
solution helps you
learn faster
• Failure is part of
innovating
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http://www.azarask.in/blog/post/the-wrong-problem/

15. PO Archetypes
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16. The Stenographer
Key Behaviors
• Limited autonomy
• Documents requirements
from other (usually one)
source
• Limited strategic thinking
Growth Opportunities
• Build Expertise
• Engage a broad range of
stakeholders

17. The Decider
Key Behaviors
• Decisive prioritization
• Iteratively build &
evaluate product
Growth
Opportunities
• Learn about
domain
• Engage more
stakeholders 17

18. Techniques for Deciders
Small
Bets
Big Hairy
Goals
Value
Stream
Analysis
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19. The Genius
Key Behaviors
• Deep product domain
expertise
• Able to develop novel
new solutions
Growth Opportunities
• Convey complex
problems simply
• Continue to learn
• Engage stakeholders 19

20. The Diplomat
Key Behaviors
• Multiple stakeholder
engagement
• Work prioritization
Growth Opportunities
• Go beyond zero sum
negotiations
• Establish a common vision
• Bring disparate groups
together 20

21. Techniques for Diplomats
Success
Criteria
Humanized
Customers
Rapid
Feedback
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22. The Alchemist
Key Behaviors
• Actively engage
numerous stakeholders
• Identify 3rd way
solutions
Growth Opportunities
• Build further product
expertise
• Identify opportunities
for innovation

23. PO Archetypes
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24. To re-frame
Responsible for Responsible for
maximizing the building better
value of the and innovative
product and the products that are
work of the simple and make
Development users actually
Team. want to use.
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25. So, how do you make the leap?
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26. Re examine By looking at the problem differently, you can start to see
the different patterns and solutions emerge.
problem
Learn to Emphasize learning as a key way of being. Don’t be afraid of
Learn being wrong. Learning gives PO’s real empirical data that can be
used to iterate quickly.
Being able to make quick decisions with limited visibility is a
Be Decisive key trait of a good PO. Waiting for all the info or data results
in long lead times and missed opportunities.
Understanding the problem space you are operating in is key to
Learn the moving quickly and speaking to your customers in a way they
Domain can understand, trust and respect.
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27. Questions
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28. Top 10 Products we never knew we needed
1. Smart phones
2. Google
3. Wireless connections
4. Digital photography
5. Supermarket convenience foods
6. Text Messaging
7. Online shopping
8. Flat Screen TV’s
9. On demand movies and DVR’s
10. GPS and iPod’s
Source: ShopSmart Magazine survey
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