In many organizations, the Product Owner’s accountability in Scrum is often misunderstood or undervalued. Some see the Product Owner as nothing more than a task manager—someone who simply moves items around in Jira or another backlog tool. This view not only diminishes the importance of the Product Owner in Scrum but also undermines the potential for value delivery. In reality, the Product Owner is a strategic player, key to ensuring that the team works on what truly matters.
A Strategic Role, Not a Task Manager
The Product Owner is accountable for defining the product vision, setting the product goal, and curating the product backlog to achieve that goal. This is no small responsibility. These elements—vision, goal, and Product Backlog—are deeply strategic because they directly align the product's trajectory with the organization’s overall strategy and objectives. Without this alignment, teams risk working on features that don’t support the broader business outcomes.
At the heart of this accountability lies the Product Backlog. Far from being a to-do list, the backlog is the strategic roadmap for delivering the product goal. Every decision about what goes into the backlog is a decision about where the team's time, energy, and resources are invested. Time is money. Even if the Product Owner doesn’t have formal budget authority, they decide what the team focuses on—and that’s a significant power.
What are the signs?
Here are some common examples of treating the Product Owner like a Jira jockey, which undermine the strategic nature of the role:
Demanding quick updates without context: Expecting the Product Owner to constantly update the backlog based on every stakeholder request, without considering the overall product vision or goal.
Treating the backlog as a to-do list: Pushing the Product Owner to simply add features to the backlog based on immediate requests, without any prioritization or strategic thinking.
Micromanaging the backlog: Having managers or stakeholders dictate what should be in the backlog, leaving the Product Owner with little control over prioritization or decision-making.
Using the Product Owner as a ticket clerk: Relying on the Product Owner to enter or organize tickets in Jira based on technical or operational requests without considering their input on value or customer needs.
Skipping discussions about product vision and goals: Expecting the Product Owner to focus solely on day-to-day task management, with no involvement in strategic discussions or long-term planning.
Assigning deadlines without PO input: Setting arbitrary deadlines for backlog items without consulting the Product Owner, removing their ability to properly plan and prioritize work based on value.
Expecting the Product Owner to only manage “small details”: Overlooking the Product Owner’s role in maximizing value by reducing their involvement to minor backlog adjustments or superficial tasks.
The Impact of Diminishing the Product Owner’s Role
When organizations reduce the Product Owner to a glorified order taker, it’s a mistake that impacts product value. The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing value by balancing the needs of various stakeholders and identifying Product Backlog items that will deliver the most impact. If they are not empowered to make these decisions, the product’s value suffers, and in turn, so does the organization’s bottom line.
In complex work environments, those closest to the work should be empowered to make decisions about how best to deliver value. The Product Owner is in a unique position to do this, given their close interaction with both the team and the stakeholders. They understand the nuances of the product and the market, and they should have the authority to shape the product direction accordingly.
Conclusion
The Product Owner is not your Jira jockey—they are a strategic leader accountable for ensuring the product delivers value. When empowered, they can drive the product toward success. When marginalized, both the product and the organization’s outcomes suffer. Organizations that truly understand the value of this role will empower their Product Owners to make strategic decisions that benefit the entire business.
To learn more about the Product Owner accountability in Scrum, signup for Rebel Scrum's Professional Scrum Product Owner course. For more experienced practitioners, signup for the Professional Scrum Product Owner Advanced course. To learn more about private training options, contact Rebel Scrum.
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