Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

Business Case Ownership—The Product Owner's Core Duty | Lilia Pulova

Jun 27, 2025

Lilia Pulova discusses the vital role of Product Owners in Agile teams. She emphasizes the importance of being consistently present and inspirational, connecting the team's work to the wider business mission. The conversation contrasts effective Product Owners with unprepared ones, illustrating how lack of preparation can derail project alignment and team dynamics. Additionally, the episode highlights the necessity of clear communication and prioritization for driving business impact and motivating teams, while introducing a community platform for Agile practitioners.

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ANECDOTE

PO Unpreparedness Hurts Team

Lilia Pulova witnessed a Product Owner who showed up unprepared and expected developers to provide business context.
This PO shifted decision-making to the team and architects, neglecting their core responsibilities.

ADVICE

POs Must Own Product Vision

Product Owners must prioritize features based on the business case, not leave it to architects.
Always provide the team with clear product vision and expected value for each increment.

INSIGHT

Business Impact Over Features

The product's purpose is to impact business metrics, not just deliver features.
Without defined goals, teams lack filters to prioritize work effectively.

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Lilia Pulova: Business Case Ownership—The Product Owner's Core Duty

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: Always Present and Inspirational

Lilia describes an exceptional Product Owner whose defining characteristic was consistent presence with the team. This presence went beyond just showing up - it was inspirational and made team members genuinely care about their delivery and the product they were building. The Product Owner served as the vital connection between the team and the organization's wider mission, helping everyone understand how their work contributed to the bigger picture. This constant engagement and visibility created a motivated team that took pride in their product development efforts.

The Bad Product Owner: Unprepared and Responsibility-Shifting

Lilia encountered a Product Owner who exemplified poor practices by consistently arriving at backlog refinement meetings without any preparation, expecting developers to provide business context instead. This approach was fundamentally wrong because developers aren't equipped to discuss business expectations or product direction - that's the Product Owner's responsibility. This individual habitually said "yes" to all tickets without consideration, shifted decision-making responsibility to the team, and relied on architects to manage the product and determine sprint priorities. Product Owners must own the business case rather than delegate it, and keep the business rationale constantly visible to the team.

Self-reflection Question: How do you ensure your Product Owner maintains proper preparation and ownership of business decisions rather than shifting these responsibilities to the development team?

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About Lilia Pulova

Lilia Pulova, a former Business Intelligence Analyst, discovered her passion as a Scrum Master by chance. A natural communicator with a love for languages, she now bridges the gap between business and tech, translating complex needs into streamlined processes that boost productivity and keep teams aligned and focused.

You can link with Lilia Pulova on LinkedIn.