Most development teams struggle through their agile journey, but some teams seem to struggle more than others. Consider, though, that because the Product Owner is the person who provides the teams’ key input, some of the issues teams face may be due to the Product Owners own well-intentioned but sub-optimal practices. This session will take Product Owners through the crucial mistakes made by new and seasoned Product Owners alike and how those may undermine their teams’ best efforts. This presentation will educate participants on how Product Owners may identify and change behaviors practices to set teams up for success.

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The Worst Mistakes Product Owners Make
Through Their Agile Journey
Darian Rashid
darian@agileethos.com
732-213-8522

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1. Not understanding the actual problem
2. Untestable/ambiguous requirements
3. Not understanding the Customer’s priority
4. Ignoring much needed time for spikes
5. Little authority to make decisions
6. Prefer/Prioritize content over bugs
7. No “Devil’s Cut”
8. Overcommitting the team
9. Ignoring performance
10. Not understanding the team’s
culture/communication style

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1. Not (or Mis-)
Understanding the
Actual
CUSTOMERS’
Problem(s)

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Intimately Understand Your Customers’
Largest Problems
• “We need a web store!!”
• “No. We need an order tracking system. People don’t need to place
orders nor do they need any type of product data display.”

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2. Untestable/Ambiguous
Requirements

6. Conventional Measurable
Create Adult Customer Profile with Preferred Phone as
Home Phone
1.Launch the eCustomer Application
2.Click on ‘or register’ link
GIVEN I am at the Home page
WHEN I click on the “Register Now” Link
THEN I will be taken to the Register screen
AND I will see the following:
3.Enter the following Mandatory Details:
(a) enter the valid Home phone number
(b)Preferred Phone: Home
(c)Preferred Contact Method: Email
(d)Enter the other details given in the default
demographics section of test case initialization table
GIVEN I am on the Register page
WHEN I enter the following:
THEN I will be taken to the Contact Information Screen
AND I should see the following
Title First Name Middle Name Last Name … Answer
(blank) (blank) (blank) (blank) … (blank)
Compare left and right
First Name Middle Name Last Name … Answer
Miss Bethany Smith … 9021
First Name Middle Name Last Name … Answer
Miss Bethany Smith … 9021
What should I see when I click on
this link? How do I know which
page I’m taken to? How do I know
that data loaded that page
correctly. If this page isn’t right,
the rest of the test cannot proceed.
What other details? Which details
are valid details? Which are invalid?
Each cell is a test case. The number
of output values to check against
will depend on the test case.

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3a. Not Understanding the CUSTOMERS’

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3b. Everything is Priority 1

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4. Ignoring Much Needed Time for “Spikes”

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Innovation is Iterative and Needs Time
for Learning

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5. Little Authority to Make Decisions

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6. Prefer/Prioritize Content Over Bugs

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Managed and Unmanaged Technical Debt
10/30/2013
5/7/2013
11/12/2012
5/18/2012
11/24/2011
6/1/2011
12/7/2010
6/14/2010
12/18/2009
6/25/2009
1/1/2009
200
150
100
50
0
Date
#ofFieldIssues
Open Sev 9 Field Issues
Open Sev 5 Field Issues
Open Sev 1 Field Issues
Variable
Open Field Issues 1-1-2009 - 10-31-2013
Pre-transformation With WIP Cap WIP
Cap
no
longer
in
effect
WIP
Cap
in
effect
again

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7. No

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8. Overcommitting the Team

16. © Agile Ethos. Do Not Reproduce 169. Ignoring Performance

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10. Not Understanding the Team’s
Culture/Communication Style

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