How to Become a Product Owner
Being a product owner is a major undertaking. As one of the core roles on a Scrum team, alongside Scrum master and development team member, it requires a number of duties.
As noted by the Scrum Guide, the product owner’s main responsibility is to maximize the value of the product created by a development team. The product owner defines the goal of the sprint and creates an overall vision for the product. They manage their team’s list of work activities, known as a product backlog. They must also be a good communicator, as they need to clearly outline stakeholder needs to the development team. In short, a product owner wears many hats.
Up for the challenge? If you want to know how to become a product owner, here’s how to get started.
4 steps for becoming a product owner
When learning how to become a product owner, there are four easy steps you can follow.
Step 1: Talk to other product owners
First things first, you want to be fully sure of what it actually takes to be a product owner. Many people confuse it with a project manager, which is an entirely different role. Talk to some experienced product owners to get an idea of what the day-to-day role is like to be sure it’s right for you. You could even ask one of them to be your mentor if you choose to continue down this path.
Step 2: Do your research
Next, you need to immerse yourself in the world of product management. Check out some of the top product management books for beginners to get started. You could also set up an RSS feed for the latest blog posts and articles from product management experts such as Melissa Perri, Roman Pichler, and Marty Cagan.
Step 3: Brush up on your technical skills
Though a technical background is not a prerequisite for product owners, it can be a useful asset. As you will be dealing with developers on a daily basis, it’s good to have a basic understanding of how software development works. You don’t need to know how to build the product itself, but you do need to know the ins and outs of your product’s functionality.
Step 4: Start a training course
It’s now time to begin your official training to become a certified Scrum product owner. There are a number of organizations that offer training for this role, including Scrum.org, Scaled Agile, and the Scrum Alliance. Browse the various workshops, courses, and certifications on offer to make the right choice for you.
Now you know how to become a product owner, you are ready to take the first step on your journey. Best of luck!
