In the software development world, a product owner is someone who takes responsibility for the success of a project from the customer’s viewpoint. An effective product owner will be able to execute the following responsibilities:

1. Understand what the business is trying to accomplish

Knowing what success looks like from the customer’s viewpoint is the critical part of the product ownership role. Some teams will use a product owner provided by the developer, but to ensure that the customer viewpoint is always prioritized, it makes good sense to have the product owner be provided by the customer.

2. Communicate effectively

The key function of a product owner is communication to all team members about all aspects of the project, including priorities, deliverables, schedules, scope creep, budget, and risks. The product owner is responsible for keeping the customer stakeholders informed about progress.

When a customer stakeholder wants to know what’s happening in the development process and how the solution will work, the product owner should have the answers. A product owner who is an effective communicator will provide an explanation at the appropriate level of technical detail for whomever is asking. A product owner who understands the needs of different stakeholders will know that the chief financial officer is looking for different information than the customer service manager.

3. Make the right decisions quickly

To keep the project moving, the product owner must be able to make the right decisions quickly. With a solid understanding of what the customer needs, making decisions should come easily to the right product owner. When the development team needs to know how to handle a request that could cause a delay, the product owner should be able to evaluate the situation, have the authority to make a decision, and provide direction.

4. Leave the “how” to the technical team

While an effective product owner must have a good technical understanding of what the development team is doing, it isn’t the product owner’s role to determine how the functionality will be implemented. Of course, the product owner will have a lot of input, but that input needs to be about what the solution needs to do for whom, and why. How it’s best accomplished technically is up to the developers.

5. Have the trust and support of upper management

Without buy-in from upper management, the project most likely won’t succeed. A product owner who understands the business, can communicate effectively, and can make the right decisions quickly still needs management support.

Understanding the culture of the business is an invaluable asset for the product owner. Is the company risk-averse? Does management need to know the minute the schedule slips even slightly, or do they only want to be informed of major issues? Providing the level of communication needed prevents unpleasant surprises and unnecessary aggravation.

What does success look like from the customer’s viewpoint? That question will be on the product owner’s mind at every step in the process. By repeatedly asking the question and keeping the project on track, a product owner will truly own a large portion of the credit for the success of the project.