Being a Product Owner

I am a Product Owner. I'm on a mission to create great products.

I don't have a title

Some clients call me "Agile Product Manager", "Agile Project Manager" or even "Agile Architect".
To be honest, I don't give a hoot what you call me. I'm not in it for title games. Titles don't matter.
Those who know me call me "Michael". That's me, and that matters.

I am the product

When I get up in the morning, I think about what the product needs. When I drive to work, I consider the challenges my product faces. While I am at work, I discuss the product with others. My discussions are centered around the product. While I eat, while I walk, while I dream - the product is there. I am the Product - you do something for my product, you make me happy. You mess with my product, you hurt me.

I am narcissistic

I identify with the product. I want the product to be great. I feel with my product. When my product suffers, I suffer. When my product succeeds, I succeed. I don't take criticism on my product lightly. If it's justified, I will do everything I can to improve. If it's unjustified, I will give you a chance to correct your opinion before you get a problem.

I don't accept "requirements"

I dedicate myself to making the product rock. You are allowed to explain to me why you think that the product should offer a certain ability, but you can't make me build it. If you manage to convince me how the product will be more desirable with your idea, I will place it in the backlog. Otherwise, you're short on luck. And no, I don't care for your job title. I care for the merit of your idea.

I don't work for you

I work to build a great product. If you have a need for which I have a vision, and you are willing to fund me to find excellent ways of turning your need into results, we can have a talk. I will dedicate my time, energy and every brain cell to making the product happen in a way that meets your needs and expectations, in terms of the product's content, price tag and its value. We will work together as long as I can bring the product forward and the product brings you forward. When either is no longer the case, we will part ways.

I protect my team

I need my team to make the product rock. I invest my time into instilling the vision into them and I enable them to do what they need to. I respect my team members, because I know they do the best they can. Without them, the product vision would remain a mental blob. When someone messes with my team, they have a problem with me. And I don't care what title or role that someone has.

I don't follow Scrum

Judge me or condemn me if you want for not living up to whatever agile bible you follow. I don't give a hoot, either. I'm not in it for a methodology. I'm in it for building a great product with a great team. I don't follow Scrum - nor anyone or anything else, for that matter. When rules and regulations become impediments to doing what needs to be done in order to succeed, I will stomp over them. As long as Scrum follows me, I'm fine. When it no longer does, it better get out of my way.

I am an extremist

I understand moderation, but I also understand that there will be no change without change. I am the PO because I want to make a difference - and since I can't get everything, I need to deal with extremes. From there, we will explore together how far we can go and what it takes to get there. If I didn't have radical ideas, my product would suck.

I don't insist

I am actually quite easy to convince that I need to reconsider my choices, except that I need evidence: Experiments that prove otherwise, business figures that point in a different direction, systemic causes which make other approaches more favorable. "I don't like it" doesn't cut it, I want hard facts. Solid, reliable information. In fact, as new information becomes available, I constantly reconsider my next steps.