Product Ownership Misconceptions in Companies
Many organisations misunderstand Product Ownership, treating it as simple backlog management instead of a strategic, accountable role essential for …
TL;DR; A great Product Owner shapes product strategy by owning the vision, understanding customers and the market, making tough decisions, aligning stakeholders, and adapting based on evidence. Focusing only on backlog management limits their impact; empowered POs drive real value and influence roadmaps. Ensure your Product Owners have the authority and support to make strategic decisions, not just administrative tasks.
A great Product Owner doesn’t just manage a backlog—they drive the entire product strategy. If you’re looking for a simple litmus test for what makes a strong PO, Jim Sammons’ Five A’s of Product Ownership is a great framework:
Too often, companies focus on tactical backlog refinement instead of strategic product management. The best POs influence at every level—shaping roadmaps, driving experimentation, and ensuring the product delivers real value.
If your Product Owner isn’t empowered to make meaningful decisions, they aren’t really a Product Owner. They’re just an administrator.
Which of these “A’s” do you think is the hardest for most POs to master?
Each classification [Concepts, Categories, & Tags] was assigned using AI-powered semantic analysis and scored across relevance, depth, and alignment. Final decisions? Still human. Always traceable. Hover to see how it applies.
If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.
We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.
Teleplan
Healthgrades
ProgramUtvikling
Higher Education Statistics Agency
Kongsberg Maritime
MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd.
New Signature
Trayport
Bistech
Deliotte
Sage
Freadom
Hubtel Ghana
Brandes Investment Partners L.P.
Workday
Epic Games
Lockheed Martin
Xceptor - Process and Data Automation
Washington Department of Enterprise Services
Royal Air Force
New Hampshire Supreme Court
Nottingham County Council
Department of Work and Pensions (UK)
Ghana Police Service
Ericson
Illumina
Slicedbread
Graham & Brown
Philips
Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG)