Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

Balancing Product Ownership Between Vision and User Reality | Richard

Apr 18, 2025

In this conversation, Richard Brenner, a Software Engineer and Agile Coach, shares his insights on balancing product ownership with user reality. He describes great product owners as 'experimenters' who rely on feedback loops and team collaboration. Richard emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs over strict technical visions, highlighting the need for a coaching approach to facilitate teamwork. He introduces practical tools like the Role Expectation Matrix and Product Owner Sprint Checklist to enhance communication and problem-solving within Agile teams.

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ANECDOTE

Tech Visionary PO Fails Users

A medical doctor acting as a product owner pushed a tech vision without properly validating with users.
The team developed cool tech, but users couldn't use the product, requiring a full UX rethink.

INSIGHT

PO as Hypothesis-Driven Coach

Great product owners treat all decisions as hypotheses to test with real users.
They actively engage stakeholders and inspire the team through a coaching leadership style.

ADVICE

Adopt a Coaching PO Stance

Product owners should adopt a coaching stance to foster team collaboration and solution finding.
They must build true partnerships with teams to achieve joint success and create valuable products.

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Richard Brenner: Hypothesis-Driven Product Ownership, The Experimental Mindset

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes.

The Great Product Owner: The Experimenter

Richard describes great Product Owners as "experimenters" who understand that everything they do is a hypothesis requiring validation. The best POs establish feedback loops early, actively engage with users and clients, and approach product development with a scientific mindset. Richard shares an experience working with a "coaching PO" who excelled at involving everyone in defining what needed to be done.

This PO was inspiring and helped the team participate in both building and decision-making processes. Richard emphasizes that the relationship between PO and team must be a true partnership—not hierarchical—for success to occur. Great POs facilitate team involvement rather than dictating direction, creating an environment where collaborative problem-solving thrives.

In this segment, we refer to the Role Expectation Matrix Retrospective, and the Product Owner Sprint Checklist, a hands-on coaching tool for anyone interested in helping PO’s prepare and lead successful Sprints with their teams.

The Bad Product Owner: The Tech Visionary Disconnected from Users

Richard recounts working with a high-level sponsor, a medical doctor interested in technology, who hired multiple development teams (up to four Scrum teams) to build a product. While technically knowledgeable, this PO had very concrete ideas about both the technology and solution based on assumptions about client needs.

The team developed impressive technology, including a domain-specific language (DSL), and felt they were performing well—until they delivered to actual clients. Only then did they discover users couldn't effectively use the software, requiring a complete rethinking of the UX concept. This experience taught Richard the critical distinction between the customer (the sponsor/PO) and the actual end users, demonstrating how even technically sophisticated Product Owners can miss essential user needs without proper validation.

Self-reflection Question: How might you help Product Owners in your organization balance their vision with the practical realities of user needs and feedback?

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About Richard

Richard is a versatile technology leader with experience as a Software Engineer, Product Owner, and Agile Coach. Passionate about building software that excites, he thrives at the intersection of technology, change, and leadership. Lately, he's focused on Collaborative Modeling, bridging disciplines to drive innovation and create meaningful impact.

You can link with Richard Brenner on LinkedIn.