Manage the product backlog effectively as the product owner

5 min

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

  • Describe how the product owner maximizes the value of the scrum team’s work
  • Explain how the product owner orders the product backlog

What does the product owner do?

The product owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the scrum team's work. Product owners also serve as the bridge between stakeholders and the team and are responsible for defining the product goal and prioritizing the product backlog items.
Here are some of the duties they perform:
  • Manage the product backlog: Create, refine, and order items
  • Communicate clearly: Transparently manage stakeholder expectations
  • Own vision and value: Set and share the product goal

The product goal describes the product’s future state, which can serve as a target for the scrum team to plan against.

👇 Product owners perform the following duties.
A diagram of the duties performed by a product owner.

The product owner always has the final authority in ordering the product backlog. This authority ensures a single, clear direction for the product's development.

The product backlog

The product backlog is a prioritized list for a product or service. A product backlog can vary in size depending on the product or feature that is being created.

A product is a vehicle for delivering valuable outcomes.

Manage the product backlog effectively

The product owner plays a crucial role in guiding the scrum team's efforts, ensuring that the product delivers maximum value to customers and the organization. The scrum team uses the product backlog to build the spring backlog, so it must be managed effectively to support the team in achieving the product goal.
👇Click the boxes below to explore how to manage the product backlog

Let’s take a look at an example.

Taylor manages a busy community center that offers classes, events, and resources for local residents. To improve the center’s offerings and operations, Taylor’s organization adopts scrum. Taylor steps into the product owner role, working with a diverse team that includes instructors, event coordinators, volunteers, and a communications specialist.
👇Click the tabs below to explore how Taylor manages the product owner's role.
Taylor’s first task is to create a product backlog—a prioritized list of improvements and new initiatives for the center. The backlog includes items such as:
  • Upgrading the center’s fitness equipment
  • Organizing a monthly community movie night
  • Launching a new after-school tutoring program
  • Expanding activities for senior citizens
  • Improving the online class registration process
Icons representing various items in the backlog.
Each week, Taylor reviews the backlog, gathers new feedback from community members and staff, and adjusts priorities as needed. By focusing on value and maintaining clear authority over the backlog, Taylor ensures the team’s efforts deliver the greatest benefit to the community.
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