Danko PO Role Responsibilities

7/31/2019 Danko PO Role Responsibilities

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Roles & Responsibilitiesof the

Product Owner(The real truth behind being a Product Owner)

Danny (Danko) Kovatch [email protected]

The fifth Scrum gathering
http://www.scrumalliance.org/view/guide_level_of_certification/


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I am nobody, nobodys perfect, therefore, I am perfect!

About me

[email protected] +972-544-26.11.70


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The common mistake

Question: What does the PO do?Answer: Provide help by creating

the product backlog

To err is human, but it feels divine . -- Mae West


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Formal definition


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Formal definition

The Product Owner has the following responsibilities:

1. Define the features of the product;

2. Decide on release date and content;3. Be responsible for the profitability of the product (ROI);

4. Prioritize features according to market value;

5. Adjust features and priority every 30 days, as needed; and

6. Accept or reject work results.

The product owner is responsible

for the first of the three

Scrum ceremonies : Scrum Planning.


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How is it

done?Is it really so simple?

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop Lewis Carroll


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1. Define the features of the product;

Define the vision

Define the target of the product

Imagine the epics and the themes Imagine the features and the sub features of the product

Translate it into a product backlog

For each user story, insist on the following:

INVEST

CCC DoD

Publish the features

Discuss it with the customers (or get feedback)

Discuss it with the management, colleagues and teams

Pray that you are rightVision is the art of seeing the invisible things-- Jonathan Swift.


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Source: http://www.xprogramming.com/xpmag/expCardConversationConfirmation.htm

(Verified today during lunch time )

Ron Jeffriesdefines three Cs:

CardDoes not contain all the information

Enough text to only identify the requirements

ConversationEncourage thoughts, opinions and discussions

ConfirmationDemonstrate the acceptance test of the customer

User stories CCC


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User stories

INVESTIndependent

The four most dangerous words in investing are 'This time it's different.' -- Sir John Templeton


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User stories

INVESTNegotiable


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User stories

INVESTValuable


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User stories

INVESTEstimateble


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User stories

INVESTSizeable


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User stories

INVESTTestable


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Definition Of Done (DoD)

There are many options:

Coders opinion

End of coding Code review Unit test Check inManagers approval Pair review approved by the tester

integration test System test Performance test Load balance test Regression test Functional test Progression test Overall test Sanity test Smoke test Product owner approvalUsers approval PilotMany more

Were ready

to go!

Who is he

kidding?

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?


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2. Decide on release date and content;

Before the beginning of the project

Be familiar with the overall product content

Be familiar with the velocity of the teams

Calculate the release date as derived from the iron triangleproject

Make a decision when reality does not fit your plan

Throughout the project

Pray that velocity was accurate

Be V-E-R-Y patient and tolerance whena team has an impediment

Adjust the reality plan

"People arent resources and managers arent bosses - Ken Schwaber


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The iron triangle project

Content

Resources TimeThe Waterfall approach

The Agile way


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Overall product release date Team level

.................................

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User story Pr Est Velocity

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan

Resource Time

Content

Nov 09

Sep 09* Developed and invented by Giora Morein


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Overall product release date Product level

Team A Team B Team C Team D Team E Team F Team G

Remainingsprints

18

16

14

12

108

6

4

2

Release date

* Developed and invented by Giora Morein


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3. Be responsible for the profitability of the

product (ROI);

Have strong nerves

Understand the business impact of each feature Be V-E-R-Y aware of the market / competitors /

technology

Be familiar with the cost of developing each feature

Be brave! (Do not be afraid of making decisions*)

Expect a reward at the end of the product and get readyfor a disappointment

"Not making a decision is worse than making the wrong decision!


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4. Prioritize features according to market

value;

Be able to make decisions Understand that the teams can not do all at once

Be ware of your surrounding (customers, competitors,management, teams, )

Know your limits Consider: Value, cost, risk & uncertainty

Make service your first priority, not success and success will follow "


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5. Adjust features and priority every 30

days, as needed;

30 days?!?!? (who isnt adjusting to reality)

Feel the market

Be familiar with the velocity of the teams

Know the maturity level of each team

Be brave (make decisions!)

Can you explain your product in the time it takes to ride up in an elevator? -- Moore

FormingStorming

NormingPerforming


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Storming

Performing

Forming

Norming

Encouraging

Motivate

MirroringRelying

It is OK to make

a mistake, just try it

Focus on the DoD

What was your original plan?What are the user stories you

are committing for this sprint?

PO vs. Scrum team

Do or Do not, there is no try (Scrum?) Master Yoda


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6. Accept or reject work results

Be brave!

Keep your professional integrity

Do not fall into Parkinson law1

Be aware of the student syndrome2

Be afraid of Brooks law3

The architect can be your friend unless his name is Conway4

Insist on the DoD throughout the project1Work expands so as to fill

the time available for its completion.

2Start to fully apply yourself to a taskjust at the last possible moment

3Adding manpower to a late softwareproject makes it later

4 Any piece of software reflects the organizational

structure that produced it"Know your limits but never accept them


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and let us not forget theobstacles & challengesalong the way!

"If at first you don't succeed skydiving is not for you


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Obstacles & Challenges

I need to prioritize the backlog on a daily basis

I am the one that has all the pressure

"Your failures won't hurt you until you start blaming them on others "


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"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. -- Thomas Edison

I want to go back to waterfall !


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We need a creative solution!

Impossible is often the untried! - Jim Goodwin


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HR skills

Negotiator

Excellent communication skills

Ability to listen

Be honest with the teams

Patience is a virtue

Flexible (Agile..) mind set

Do not be vain! (You can not anticipate everything)

Trust the teams

Be open to criticism

Ability to manage several tasks simultaneously

Decision maker


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Some quick questions a PO should be

thinking about

Who is going to buy the product?

Who is the target customer?

Which customer needs will the product address? Which product attributes are critical to satisfy the needs selected,

and therefore for the success of the product?

How does the product compare against existing products, both fromcompetitors and the same company?

What are the products unique selling points?

What is the target timeframe and budget to develop and launch theproduct?

Imagine that the product came out as a big flop. What went wrong?


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Questions a product owner should ask

herself What am I afraid of? Why companies buy our products?

Why companies do not buy our products?

What will the customers need from us in the future?

What should I change in the product? Who are our competitors? What makes them such?

What prevents me for doing my job? What did I learn in the past week? sprint? Release?

Am I communicating clear, sharp, one voice set of

requirements? Am I surprised at the end of a sprint?

Am I available to the teams? What can I do in order to help the teams? Should I need to describe the product in one word,

what would it be? Why?


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A day in a life of a Product Owner

should contain:

Be in touch with customers

Discuss new possibilities with high management

Be available to the teams (answer questions, negotiate)

Participate in the daily standup meeting

Groom the backlog

Think! (Quiet era)

Why is it you must wait until night to call it a day?

S i


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Sprint

Backlog

Sprint

ProductBacklog

AsprioritizedbyPO

Tasks committed

By the team

Potentially Shippable

Product Increment

24 hours

Scrum ceremonies

Share your visionDefine the DoD

Help them understandHelp them in creating user storiesMake clear statementsMake sure the team and you understandwhat is going to be deliveredat the end of the sprint

Listen!Feel the peopleDo not be caught surprisedMake sure you review thecommitted user storiesDo not let the team answerthe stakeholders questions

Be honest!

If procrastinators had a club would they ever have a meeting?

id li h


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Guidelines to the PO

- You need the teams as much as the teams need you- Trust the teams

- Be available to the teams- Insist on visibility throughout the way- If user story is your weapon, the DoD is your bullets- Insist on the INVEST model for all user stories- Replan constantly- Be afraid of not taking a decision not taking the wrong decision

- No document will replace communication armed with common sense- Be careful for what you wish, it may come true- It is YOUR incentive to make sure EVERYONE within the team

understand the big picture- Invest in knowledge transfer is the self maintenance of the teams.- If you do not do it, you will end up with an heart attack

- There should be only one voice- If the scope keeps changing within each sprint, someone

has not thought things through. Be sure it is not you!- Create your reality! Similar to Scrum, see in your mind

the end of the day at the beginning of it

Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life Harvey MacKay

f i l i i


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Before After

Professional integrity

"Its great to work with somebody who wants to do things differently -- Keith Bellow


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Thank you!

[email protected]+972-544-26.11.70

"You must have long term goals to keep you frombeing frustrated by short term failures ".-- Charles C. Noble

Danko PO Role Responsibilities

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