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?
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.
Lockheed Martin
ALS Life Sciences
Brandes Investment Partners L.P.
Alignment Healthcare
Freadom
DFDS
Genus Breeding Ltd
Microsoft
Qualco
Emerson Process Management
Trayport
Ericson
YearUp.org
Teleplan
Flowmaster (a Mentor Graphics Company)
Sage
New Signature
Slicedbread
Ghana Police Service
Department of Work and Pensions (UK)
New Hampshire Supreme Court
Nottingham County Council
Washington Department of Transport
Royal Air Force
MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd.
Healthgrades
Epic Games
Lean SA
Slaughter and May
DFDS