How good is the APSPO course in helping leaders determine product direction and Why?
For me, this is one of those questions that I have a straightforward answer: ‘ Leaders should determine product direction because for the simple fact that any course isn’t going to tell them how to do that.’
But at the same time, it’s important to know that product owners can gain a massive amount of help by using the tools in APSPOA in shaping their product direction. 🚀
Allow me to explain in this article how and why my answer is a straight-to-the-point answer.
PSPO-A Tools
In the Agile world, the question, “How effective is the APSPOA course in assisting leaders in determining product direction?” pops up quite a lot, so I’d like to break it down and shed some light on this for you. 🧐
Why PSPO-A?
So, we’ve already established that leaders should be the ones determining the product direction and that the APSPOA course won’t directly tell them how to do it.
However, the course equips leaders with various tools and techniques to understand what they may be missing in their current approaches. 📚🔧
For example, to understand better the things they’re not doing that they should probably be doing.
Many product owners focus solely on being great customer advocates. Yet, they sometimes neglect the innovator role, leaving a gap in their capabilities.
Through APSPOA, we can focus on bridging these gaps and helping product owners become well-rounded leaders. 🎯
Six Stances of Product Ownership
The APSPOA talks about six possible focus areas for product owners, which we refer to as the ‘stances.’
The following stances I’ve detailed here aren’t the only ones, but for me, they are significant in shaping the product owner role: 💪
1. Visionary 🌟 Here’s where you’re channelling your inner Steve Jobs, figuring out what the next big move is. This isn’t always driven by customer demand but by future innovation.
2. Collaborator 🤝: The product owner’s role is political by nature. You need to get everyone behind your vision to create successful products. That’s why we call this role the ‘politician’ too.
3. Customer Advocate 👥: Relentless customer focus is essential. Understanding and delivering what your customers want is a significant part of the product owner’s role.
4. Decisive Leader ⚖️: A product owner should be a decisive figure. It’s better to make a wrong decision than not to make one at all. Be bold, take calculated risks, and learn from them.
5. Experimenter 🔬: This role focuses on iterative innovation, running small experiments to determine the product’s potential future direction.
6. Innovator 💡: Not to be confused with the experimenter, the innovator focuses on broader, transformative changes, constantly looking for the next big thing.
The Journey Continues
The journey of a product owner continues as products, practices and processes change. In fact, I’d like to share with you a popular phrase in the Agile world: “It’s better to make a decision that’s wrong than not make a decision at all.”
That’s a powerful statement!
Becoming a product owner or an Agile leader isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. It requires you to constantly evaluate and improve your skills, understanding what gaps exist and how to fill them.
The APSPOA course can be an invaluable companion in this journey, helping you understand the various facets of product ownership and leadership and providing you with tools and strategies to excel in your role.
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