Five Signs You’re Failing as a Product Owner

Being a product owner is an incredibly rewarding, yet challenging role. You’re the bridge between the customer’s needs and the team’s work, translating insights and priorities into actionable goals. But what happens when things start to slip? If you’re struggling with ineffective goals, lacking validation, or hitting roadblocks with customer outcomes, it might be time to reassess your approach. Here, we’ll break down five signs that signal you may be off track as a product owner—and what you can do to get back on the right path.

Are Your Sprint Goals Just a Shopping List?

A Sprint goal should be more than a checklist of tasks; it’s a north star, pointing your team toward customer or user outcomes. If your goals look like a shopping list, chances are you’re focused on output instead of outcomes—a subtle but crucial difference.

Why This Matters

Sprint goals are meant to describe usable functionality that provides real value. They’re not just about what’s done but how it improves the product for your customer or user. If your goals resemble a series of unconnected tasks, consider these red flags:

Lack of cohesion: A shopping list approach creates fragmented work that doesn’t build toward a singular vision. Reduced team morale: Without a unified purpose, team members may lose sight of why their work matters. Missed learning opportunities: Empirical process control—a pillar of Scrum—is all about adapting based on what you learn. Without cohesive goals, learning becomes nearly impossible.

Pro Tip: Instead of listing tasks, create goals that communicate a clear outcome. Think about the difference it will make for the user rather than what gets “done.”

Not Leveraging Empirical Process Control?

The power of Scrum lies in its commitment to learning and adapting through empirical process control. If you’re not actively learning about customer needs and adjusting your work based on those insights, you’re missing a significant part of your role as a product owner.

What’s Empirical Process Control?

It’s a fancy way of saying make decisions based on experience and evidence. In Scrum, you rely on what you’ve observed to guide future actions, tweaking the approach to better serve users.

If you’re merely executing the same type of tasks without evaluating the impact on your customer, you’re effectively working with blinders on. Here are some telltale signs you may not be applying empirical process control effectively:

No regular feedback loops from users or customers Little to no validation of assumptions made during the Sprint planning Stagnant goals that fail to evolve Sprint-to-SprintIgnoring the Definition of Done?

A Sprint goal and a strong Definition of Done (DoD) go hand-in-hand. Without a clear DoD, your team lacks a benchmark for quality and completeness, leading to inconsistencies and potentially unusable work.

Why a Clear Definition of Done Is Critical

If your DoD is “flexible” or vague, the following issues are likely to crop up:

Incomplete features, leading to a fractured user experience Inability to release valuable increments, as nothing is truly ready Increased technical debt as quality standards vary across Sprints

As a product owner, your role includes safeguarding quality and ensuring that each increment is usable and valuable. Without a solid DoD, you risk pushing half-finished work to users—a surefire way to disappoint.

Personal Example: The Cost of Skipping Quality Checks

Let’s dive into an example. I once worked with a team that was notorious for pushing work before it was fully done. The DoD was little more than a suggestion, and the result was a flood of support tickets post-release. Users were frustrated, and the team faced an uphill battle to regain customer trust. It was a painful lesson, but it underscored the necessity of adhering to a rigorous DoD.

Recommendation: Review your DoD regularly with the team. Make sure it’s a living document that reflects current quality standards and user expectations.

Lacking a Validated Customer Outcome?

In Scrum, each Sprint should deliver functionality that enhances the user experience. A “validated outcome” means you’re not only providing something new but also verifying its value to users. If you aren’t actively validating outcomes, you’re essentially flying blind.

How to Validate Outcomes

Validation goes beyond the work completed in the Sprint. It involves checking in with users or customers to confirm that what’s been developed truly adds value. Try incorporating these steps:

Gather user feedback regularly Implement A/B testing or similar validation methods Use metrics that tie directly back to user satisfaction

This approach enables you to pivot and make adjustments as necessary, ensuring that your product aligns with evolving user needs.

Putting It All Together: A Holistic Approach to Success as a Product Owner

Failing as a product owner is rarely due to a single misstep; it’s often the result of compounding issues. When you combine an ineffective Sprint goal with a weak Definition of Done and skip customer validation, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Let’s revisit the key takeaways to prevent these pitfalls:

Craft Outcome-Oriented Goals:Focus on user impact, not just outputAvoid fragmented or disjointed goals that resemble a “shopping list”Embrace Empirical Process Control:Continuously learn and adapt based on user feedbackEstablish feedback loops within each SprintStrengthen Your Definition of Done:Keep your quality standards high and clearUse the DoD as a tool to ensure each increment is release-readyValidate Outcomes with Real User Data:Collect actionable feedback from users post-releaseUse this information to inform the next Sprint’s focusStay Agile in Mindset and Practice:Avoid becoming rigid in your approach; adapt as you goMaintain a close connection to your team and usersFinal Thoughts: Being a Product Owner with Impact

Being a successful product owner isn’t just about managing a backlog or setting Sprint goals. It’s about championing user needs, validating assumptions, and steering your team toward meaningful, value-driven outcomes. When you start seeing signs that things are slipping, use them as a cue to reflect and adjust your approach.

Remember, a product owner’s role is as much about the “why” as it is about the “what.” Keep the customer at the heart of your decisions, refine your approach based on real insights, and stay committed to delivering quality.

In the journey of product ownership, there will always be challenges. But by focusing on outcomes, validating your assumptions, and committing to continuous improvement, you’ll not only elevate the product but also the team and, ultimately, the customer experience. Keep refining, keep learning, and always keep the user front and center.

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