Stances of the Product Owner: From Backlog Admin to Value Driver

Many organizations treat the Product Owner as a backlog administrator, ticket writer, or go-between — and then wonder why their products drift, stall, or miss the mark. The role gets distorted in predictable ways, and the cost is real: slower decisions, misaligned teams, and products that serve processes instead of users.

In this session, led by Tom Molnár we'll unpack the 6 misunderstood PO stances — the anti-patterns that quietly erode value — and contrast them with the 6 effective stances that make a Product Owner truly impactful.
What we'll cover:
❌ Misunderstood stances (anti-patterns):

• Clerk — just adds everything to the backlog, no vision or decisions
• Story Writer — focuses only on writing user stories
• Project Manager — focuses on deadlines and output instead of value
• Manager — manages people instead of the product
• Subject Matter Expert — gets lost in detailed expertise
• Gatekeeper — becomes a bottleneck; everything goes through them

These aren't value-creating behaviors — they're distortions of the role.
✅ Effective stances:

• Visionary — defines a clear product vision and goals; focuses on the future
• Collaborator — actively works with the team and stakeholders
• Customer Representative — brings in user needs; explains the "why"
• Decision Maker — makes fast decisions → faster time-to-market
• Experimenter — thinks in hypotheses; validates instead of assuming
• Influencer — creates alignment across the organization

A good PO isn't just one of these — it's a combination of all.
🎯 Key takeaway: According to Scrum, the PO's goal is to maximize value. Many organizations misunderstand this. The goal is to recognize when you slip into a bad stance and shift back.
Who should attend: Product Owners, Scrum Masters, agile coaches, engineering leads, and anyone working with or alongside POs who wants to raise the bar on how the role is understood and practiced.

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An in person, English speaking session. No video feed will be provided.
Please note, that we dont have catering for the event.