By Andrew Park | 2024-10-21
In today’s evolving product landscape, the role of the Product Owner, as defined by Scrum, was formulated in the late 1990s when software projects were much smaller and simpler, and most companies operated on sales-led product teams. Since then, software project complexity has increased by 50x, and user experience (UX) standards have risen dramatically. These two forces have driven the rise of the Product Oriented Model, which has gained significant popularity over the last decade. As a result, the responsibilities of Product Managers have expanded significantly, while the Product Owner role has diminished in favor of this more comprehensive approach. This shift presents an exciting opportunity for Product Owners to capitalize on the trend and grow into more strategic product leaders.
The traditional Product Owner role primarily focuses on short-term priorities: managing the backlog, working closely with technical teams, and facilitating sprint planning. These responsibilities are vital, but they represent only part of what it takes to drive a product’s long-term success. By gradually expanding their scope, Product Owners can contribute to setting the product’s vision, performing strategic market analysis, overseeing user experience (UX) direction, and collaborating across the organization to ensure alignment with business goals.
How Product Owners Can Gradually Grow into Product Managers
Becoming a Product Manager doesn’t require an abrupt shift, but rather, a gradual expansion of skills and responsibilities. Here are some key areas where Product Owners can build on their current role:
1. Strategic Planning: While Product Owners often focus on immediate development needs, taking on more strategic responsibilities—such as contributing to the product vision and aligning it with long-term business goals—can enhance their role. Over time, Product Owners can develop a more holistic view of how their work impacts the product’s success.
2. Market and Customer Insights: Moving beyond day-to-day backlog management, Product Owners can start to engage more deeply with market trends and customer insights. By understanding the broader competitive landscape and customer needs, they can help shape product direction in a way that ensures sustained market relevance.
3. Collaboration Beyond the Technical Team: Product Owners are already embedded within technical teams, but they can extend their collaboration with sales, marketing, and customer success teams. Doing so will help them better understand how the product fits into broader business objectives and customer journeys.
4. Leadership and Team Influence: As Product Owners grow, they can take on mentorship roles, guiding newer team members and providing insights that come from their deep tactical knowledge of the product. Over time, this mentorship can evolve into leadership responsibilities across product teams.
Suggested Paths for Self-Education
For Product Owners looking to expand their skills into more strategic product management areas, there are multiple educational paths to explore—ranging from free self-study resources to paid professional programs.
Self-Study Paths
1. Books: Reading books written by seasoned product managers is a great way to gain insight into higher-level product management practices. Recommended titles include:
Inspired, Empowered, and Transformed by Marty Cagan
Escaping the Build Trap by Melissa Perri
Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres
Working Backwards by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr (Amazon)
Strategize by Roman Pichler
2. Online Articles and Blogs: There are many free resources available online. Blogs from product management thought leaders such as Roman Pichler, Ken Norton, and Mind the Product provide valuable advice and insights.
3. Podcasts and Webinars: Listening to industry podcasts like Lenny’s Podcast and The Product Experience, or joining webinars hosted by product management communities, can help you stay updated on industry trends and strategic product management discussions.
4. Communities: Joining communities such as ProductTank, the Slack group Product Coalition, or attending free events like product management meetups can also foster learning through peer-to-peer interaction.
Paid Paths
1. Online Courses: Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning offer product management courses that dive into strategy, market analysis, and leadership. Courses like Digital Product Management from the University of Virginia (Coursera) or Become a Product Manager (Udemy) are popular options.
2. Degree Programs: Carnegie Mellon and Case Western Reserve are currently the only universities offering full degree programs in Product Management, providing comprehensive education in strategy, market analysis, and UX design.
A Positive Path Forward for Product Owners
The transition from a Product Owner to a Product Manager is not just beneficial for the product; it’s also a fulfilling career progression. Product Owners who embrace these growth opportunities can expand their influence, contribute more strategically to the organization, and prepare for leadership roles that shape the future of their products.
I believe that product management has a very bright future, and I have advised multiple kids entering college to consider pursuing this career path. It’s a young field that is rapidly advancing, similar to where software programming was in the early 1980s. Now is an excellent time to enter the profession at the ground floor and grow alongside its evolution.
By gradually taking on more strategic responsibilities—without leaving behind their expertise in managing sprints and backlogs—Product Owners can enhance their ability to lead products through the complexities of modern software development. In the end, the evolution of Product Owners into Product Managers creates a stronger, more versatile team capable of balancing both the tactical and strategic needs of the product.
Encouraging Growth and Development
For companies, investing in the growth of Product Owners is an investment in the long-term success of both the product and the team. One practical approach is to integrate Product Owners into the Product Management team, where they can learn from experienced colleagues and develop a broader skill set. Through collaboration and mentorship, Product Owners can gradually gain exposure to strategic planning, market research, financial management, and other essential aspects of product leadership.
By embracing this opportunity for growth, Product Owners can lead their products—and their careers—into the future.