An interview study on the roles and responsibilities of product owners in agile software development : the many faces of a product owner

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate the roles and responsibilities of Product Owners in the software industry. The study is explorative in nature, structured around four research questions, and conducted as an interview study. The 16 participants of the study were working as Product Owners or had earlier experience on the role. During the study, five Product Owner scenarios characterising the work of a Product Owner were identified. The interviewed Product Owners were categorised into the five Product Owner scenarios. The categories were used when reporting the results. In conclusion, the responsibilities of a Product Owner as a member of a software development team seem to be generally accepted. However, the business responsibilities associated with the role of a Product Owner vary drastically between the identified Product Owner scenarios. The results of the study may help software development organisations to define what they expect from a Product Owner.