Product Developer is both a role and an accountability within modern product development frameworks. All Product Developers together should possess all the skills needed to create Increments, with their combined skill set often referred to as cross-functional.
A Product Developer may be human or automated. Human Product Developers are committed to creating, researching, inspecting, and adapting any aspect of a releasable Increment each Sprint. Their primary focus is on the current Sprint, though some capacity is often invested in future-looking refinement and examining result feedback, side effects, or other learning.
Product Developers adhere to the Definition of Output Done and strive for net improvement. They achieve the best results when they focus solely on one Product. If, at a given point in time, the Product Owner or Scrum Master actively works on items in the Sprint Backlog, they perform that work as Product Developers.
Behaviors and Responsibilities
Product Developers should adopt appropriate behaviors depending on the situation, including (but not limited to):
- Collaborator
- Creator
- Champion of technical quality
- Champion of discovery
- Champion of delivery
- Champion of value validation
At least one Product Developer should be human. Multiple human Product Developers often improve cognitive diversity, which is helpful for addressing complexity.
Collective Accountability
Product Developers are always collectively accountable for:
- Creating an emergent plan in the Sprint Backlog for achieving the Sprint Goal
- Instilling quality by adhering to and improving the Definition of Output Done
- Creating at least one usable Increment every Sprint
- Learning, often through data that is guided by the Definition of Outcome Done
- Adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal
- Holding each other accountable as professionals
- Net improvement
Professional Standards
Context matters, and it is crucial to consider the specific circumstances. But as a rule of thumb, a Product Developer who is neither willing nor ready nor able to be a professional should step down as a Product Developer.
This accountability emphasizes the importance of both individual contribution and collective responsibility in creating valuable, releasable Increments that advance the Product Goal within complex, adaptive environments.
