Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

The Power Dynamics of Product Ownership | Chris Sims

Apr 25, 2025

Chris Sims, a Scrum trainer and agile coach, shares insights on effective product ownership. He highlights the importance of empathy in connecting teams with users, illustrated by a remarkable product owner who builds user relationships that enhance product usability. Sims poignantly discusses the disempowered proxy problem that undermines decision-making. He also introduces a three-line format for crafting meaningful user stories and previews the upcoming Global Agile Summit, focusing on real-world agile successes.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ADVICE

Avoid Proxy Product Owner Anti-pattern

Avoid the proxy product owner anti-pattern where the true decision-maker is absent.
Empower the proxy or have the real PO engage directly with the team for better outcomes.

ANECDOTE

Brad's User Empathy Approach

Brad, a PO with deep market knowledge, helped his team empathize by connecting them with real users.
His obsession with keyboard shortcuts reflected users' need for speed, demonstrating user-centric product thinking.

INSIGHT

User Story Focus Outside Middle

Focus user stories more on who the users are and why features matter, rather than detailed built specifications.
This approach builds empathy and leads to better products and motivated teams.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Chris Sims: The Empathy Advantage, How Great POs Connect Teams with Users

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: Deep Market Knowledge Creates Team Empathy

Brad exemplifies a truly effective Product Owner through his exceptional understanding of end users and customers in the investment management space. What sets Brad apart is not just his deep domain knowledge, but his established relationships with gatekeepers at customer organizations. These connections provide valuable insights that inform product decisions. Most importantly, Brad regularly spends time with the development team, helping them empathize with stakeholders and understand the real-world impact of their work. His user stories consistently focus on actual users and why the requested features matter, creating clear context for developers and fostering meaningful connections between technical work and business outcomes.

The Bad Product Owner: The Disempowered Proxy Problem

Chris identifies a common anti-pattern: the disempowered proxy Product Owner. This situation occurs when someone performs the day-to-day PO responsibilities for the team, but lacks true authority to make decisions. Instead, an unseen "real PO" holds ultimate control and can swoop in at any time to change priorities or requirements. This arrangement quickly erodes team trust as they realize the proxy must continually defer decisions, creating delays and uncertainty. Chris suggests either empowering the proxy with more decision-making authority while keeping stakeholders appropriately involved, or having the higher-level PO commit to spending sufficient time with the team to fulfill the true Product Owner role themselves.

Self-reflection Question: How might you identify and address power imbalances in the Product Owner role within your organization?

[Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

🚀 Global Agile Summit 2025

Join us in Tallinn, Estonia, from May 18th – 20th, 2025, for an event that will inspire, challenge, and equip you with real-world Agile success stories.

🌍 Connect with global Agile leaders.

💡 Learn practical strategies for impact.

🔥 Break free from Agile fatigue and become a Pragmatic Innovator.

Check Full Program

[Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

About Chris Sims Chris Sims is a scrum trainer, agile coach, and recovering C++ developer who helps organizations improve their productivity and happiness. Chris is the founder of Agile Learning Labs and the co-author of two best-selling scrum books: The Elements of Scrum and Scrum: a Breathtakingly Brief and Agile Introduction.

You can link with Chris Sims on LinkedIn, visit Chris Sims’ Agile Learning Labs website.