A product owner is an accountability within scrum that focuses on maximising value. However, what is value, how can you measure it?

In this article, I'll give you my perspective about value definition and how to maximise value delivery.

A product owner has 5 stances according to scrum. These are the Visionary, the collaborator, the customer representative, the decision maker, the experimenter, and the influencer.

Next to the stances of a product owner, there are aspects of product management that a PO needs to get right to maximise value. Whenever possible, I'll link the preferred product owner stance from scrum to product management aspects.

What is value?

Value is the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something. Within product management, there are many values. Below you see some of them.

Customer Value

The value that a customer gets from using the product. This could be anything that the customer values. For example, the product helps them solve a problem, it fills a gap or saves them time or money. Delivering customer value is mutual to your product success.

Business Value

The value that the business gets from developing the product. Business has different reasons behind building the product. Usually is becoming profitable. In case of non-profits or governments, there are other social and human values that are important.

Business value is the worth in monetary terms of the technical, economic, service, and social benefits a customer company receives in exchange for the price it pays for a market offering. Source

Market Value

Your product value in the market, imagine building a new tool that becomes used by many people. It has a market value and potential that goes into the future.

A product owner must go through the points below to define, measure and deliver value:

Understanding the customer

Customers are the ones who are paying for the product. Understanding their needs, pain points is key to delivering the right product and thus customer value

To understand their needs, you need to be in communication with the customers. Have a system to gather feedback and test your idea's on how to solve their problems.

This understanding gives you insights on what to solve and which gaps to fill. Stances (customer representative)

Understanding the Business

Understanding the business is key to delivering business value. A product owner must indulge into the business to understand the capabilities of the business to see if they can fill the customer need.

You might discover a gap in the market and a problem to be solved in a target audience; however, the business is incapable of solving or building the right solution. Thus, collaborating with the right people within the business will help you move forward. Stances (collaborator)

Stakeholder Relationships

Stakeholders play an important role in the life of a product owner. The complexer the environment, the more significant stakeholder relations become.

I never liked the term stakeholder management, I rather use the term relationships, since you need to build trust and a relationship with stakeholders to gain a broader understanding of the business and the objectives.

Building healthy relationships with stakeholders allows you to deliver value as a product owner. Stances (collaborator)

Business Objective

Before getting into developing any products, it's key to have a strong business objective. The business sets the direction and the reason we require a product.

We have identified an opportunity and would like to explore it. Depending on the objective, you'll need different approaches in the short, mid and long term. Stances (Visionary, Decision Maker)

Product Vision

Having a vision will help you in the good and the bad days. The vision is the reason you and your team wake in the morning to get moving and working toward a future state that is not attended yet. Stances (Visionary, collaborator)

Product Strategy

In this massive market and the Ocean of opportunities, a product strategy helps you define where to look, how to increase your chances of winning, what bet will you make and what is so unique about your product? Stances (Visionary, decision maker, influencer.)

Objectives

Once you have a solid vision and strategy, you can define what objectives you want to achieve. These objectives are bringing you closer to your vision. They enable you. Instead of thinking in terms of features or solutions, these objectives are statements you would like to reach. Stances (decision maker)

Roadmap

One of the most misunderstood areas of business agility. Roadmaps should not have dates. I was guilty of this statement too, however having dates on roadmaps allows us to focus. I also released, when you have an empowered team, they will be motivated to do the right thing and deliver value within your roadmap. Stances (decision maker, influencer.)

Setting priorities

The market and customer needs can change fast. Unfortunately, most organizations are not moving at the same speed. As a product owner, You need to use your experience and make data-driven decisions to set the priorities on what to do first. Stances (collaborator, decision maker)

Product Goal

Turning those strategies/objectives into prioritized goals is then key to guiding the scrum team to move in the right direction. A product is complex and could have many parts. Rather than working on everything at the same time, you need to focus on one goal at a time. This allows the team to take ownership and solve any challenge that they face. Stances (decision maker)

Product Discovery

We are all biased and think we know what is best to do. However, research shows other ways. That why product discovery is a critical exercise for each product owner.

Instead of making big bets, make smaller bets to find out more about the customers and their challenges.

Product Delivery enables you to test your biases and find the right challenges to solve. Stances (decision maker, experimenter, influencer.)

Product Delivery

Here is the time when you go into details and communicate requirements with the team.

You answer them, brainstorm and guide them to understand the context if needed. Most product owners live here and spend a lot of time getting things right.

However, delivery could be the easy part, if you know what and how to solve it. Stances (collaborator, decision maker, influencer.)

Your impact on teams

Product Owners have their impact on teams. They are inspiring and motivating the team to move into a certain direction.

They can use different skills to inspire and motivate. Product owners bring a lot of energy and direction to the team.

Without a product, there is no team. Depending on your seniority level, you need to guide, coach and show the bigger picture.

Defining & Measuring value

Defining what is value is the first step, then you need to establish a measuring system to become aware of how your product is doing.

One of the frameworks on how to measure value is the Evidence Base Management that focuses on main key areas which are Current value, Time to Market, Unrealized Value and Ability to Innovate.

There are Key Value Metrics within each area you can measure. You can combine this and add other metrics that you think are important to your product.

Final thoughts

Having an inspiring vision, strategy, and roadmap is the first step. Making them come to life is the greatest challenge.

As a Product Owner, you need to wear different hats to get closer to your goals.

Next to the technical aspect of delivering value, let's not forget the human aspect, which is the most significant. You need to communicate, influence, lead, coach, guide and make others see what you see to deliver value

At the end of the day, metrics don't lie. Start with your vision and work toward metrics that can show the progress and the value that you deliver.

I'm keen to see your thought on how to deliver value as a product Owner.