a·gen·tic a·gil·i·ty

A great Product Owner drives product strategy, not just manages the backlog

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.

Published on
1 minute read
Image
https://nkdagility.com/resources/FiPINXQNDQu
Subscribe

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:

  1. Accountability – Owning the product vision and backlog, not just maintaining it.
  2. Awareness – Understanding customers, the market, and business priorities.
  3. Acceptance – Making hard decisions and knowing when to pivot.
  4. Access – Engaging with stakeholders and ensuring alignment.
  5. Adaptability – Constantly inspecting and adapting based on evidence.

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?

Also published on: LinkedIn
Smart Classifications

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.

Subscribe

Connect with Martin Hinshelwood

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.

Our Happy Clients​

We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.​

Jack Links Logo

Jack Links

Lockheed Martin Logo

Lockheed Martin

Boeing Logo

Boeing

Schlumberger Logo

Schlumberger

CR2

Healthgrades Logo

Healthgrades

NIT A/S

MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd. Logo

MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd.

Illumina Logo

Illumina

Capita Secure Information Solutions Ltd Logo

Capita Secure Information Solutions Ltd

Slicedbread Logo

Slicedbread

Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG) Logo

Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG)

Alignment Healthcare Logo

Alignment Healthcare

New Signature Logo

New Signature

Big Data for Humans Logo

Big Data for Humans

Trayport Logo

Trayport

YearUp.org Logo

YearUp.org

SuperControl Logo

SuperControl

Nottingham County Council Logo

Nottingham County Council

Washington Department of Transport Logo

Washington Department of Transport

Washington Department of Enterprise Services Logo

Washington Department of Enterprise Services

Department of Work and Pensions (UK) Logo

Department of Work and Pensions (UK)

New Hampshire Supreme Court Logo

New Hampshire Supreme Court

Royal Air Force Logo

Royal Air Force

Bistech Logo

Bistech

Big Data for Humans Logo

Big Data for Humans

Trayport Logo

Trayport

Healthgrades Logo

Healthgrades

Brandes Investment Partners L.P. Logo

Brandes Investment Partners L.P.

Microsoft Logo

Microsoft