The Product Owner ensures the Product Goal

The Product Owner is responsible for ensuring a clear understanding of the Product Goal. She communicates the Product Goal to all involved, ensuring that it is understood by everyone throughout the product development work. The Product Owner is accountable for keeping the Scrum Team, the customers and the other stakeholders aligned with the Product Goal, managing the Product Backlog in order to ensure that all the work done by the Developers helps to realize this goal.

The Product Goal succinctly and directly answers the question: “Why is this product being developed?” Or, even better, “What problem will be solved by developing this product?” The PO guides the Scrum Team’s work and aligns the understanding and expectations for the product between the Scrum Team and the different stakeholders.

The Product Goal can be defined outside the context of the Scrum Team, aligned with some organizational strategy. In many scenarios, however, the Product Owner himself is accountable for establishing the Product Goal, as directed by the Scrum Guide (SCHWABER; SUTHERLAND, 2020). This is usually done in collaboration with business people, customers and other stakeholders of the product before development begins. The PO may also seek, when possible, to involve the Developers in activities necessary to create the Product Goal, as this increases the sense of ownership over what will be developed.