business analyst to product owner: making the leap
DESCRIPTION
Business Analyst to Product Owner: Making the LeapBy Jason Novack and Brian Bozzuto of BigVisible SolutionsTRANSCRIPT
Business Analyst to Product Owner: Making the Leap
November 2, 2011
Jason Novack Brian Bozzuto BigVisible Solutions
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
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
Where do good PO’s come from?
4
Technology Experience
• Flow of development • Appreciation for details • Understanding of team dynamics
5
Decision Making
• Decisive • Willing to make
mistakes • Rarely have all the data
6
Domain Knowledge
• Knowledge supports speed • Shortens feedback loops • Builds trust with customers/users
7
Story time….
8
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…
Exercise
9
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…
Here’s what happened
10
18 Years
Many attempts
All Failed
Source: wikipedia
Source: http://weblab.open.ac.uk/firstflight/
Another angle
11
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?
12 Gossamer Condor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Condor
13 Gossamer Albatross http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross
• When you are solving something hard, re-ask the problem so your solution helps you learn faster
• Failure is part of innovating
14
What are the lessons?
http://www.azarask.in/blog/post/the-wrong-problem/
PO Archetypes
15
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
The Decider
17
Key Behaviors
• Decisive prioritization • Iteratively build &
evaluate product
Growth Opportunities • Learn about
domain • Engage more
stakeholders
Techniques for Deciders
18
Small Bets
Big Hairy Goals
Value Stream Analysis
The Genius
19
Key Behaviors
• Deep product domain expertise
• Able to develop novel new solutions
Growth Opportunities
• Convey complex problems simply
• Continue to learn • Engage stakeholders
The Diplomat
20
Key Behaviors
• Multiple stakeholder engagement
• Work prioritization
Growth Opportunities
• Go beyond zero sum negotiations
• Establish a common vision • Bring disparate groups
together
Techniques for Diplomats
21
Success Criteria
Humanized Customers
Rapid Feedback
The Alchemist
Key Behaviors
• Actively engage numerous stakeholders
• Identify 3rd way solutions
Growth Opportunities
• Build further product expertise
• Identify opportunities for innovation
PO Archetypes
23
To re-frame
24
Responsible for maximizing the
value of the product and the
work of the Development
Team.
Responsible for building better and innovative
products that are simple and make
users actually want to use.
So, how do you make the leap?
25
By looking at the problem differently, you can start to see different patterns and solutions emerge.
Emphasize learning as a key way of being. Don’t be afraid of 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 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 moving quickly and speaking to your customers in a way they can understand, trust and respect.
Re examine the problem
Learn to Learn
Be Decisive
Learn the Domain
26
Questions
27
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
28
Source: ShopSmart Magazine survey