The product owner focus on managing day to day product delivery by providing guidance to the development team. On the other hand, the product manager own the complete product management process, ensuring alignment with the business objectives and driving it towards its goals.
“Product owner responsibilities are a small subset of product manager responsibilities, but it’s critical that the product managers cover both.” Marty Cagan in his renowned book ‘INSPIRED’
Product owner vs. Product Manager: Key Differences
The roles of a Product Owner and a Product Manager can vary depending on the organisation and the specific context. However, there are some general differences between the two roles:
- Scope of work:
- Product Owner: The Product Owner is primarily focused on managing the product backlog, prioritising user stories, and ensuring the development team understands the requirements. Their main responsibility is to represent the voice of the customer and make decisions that align with the product vision and goals.
- Product Manager: Product Manager as mentioned by PMI are responsible for the strategic direction and overall success of the product. This includes conducting market research, defining the product strategy, managing the product roadmap, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and driving the product’s business outcomes. They have a holistic view of the product and its lifecycle, from ideation to launch and beyond.
- Stakeholder Engagement:
- Product Owner: The Product Owner primarily interacts with the development team and serves as a bridge between the team and internal stakeholders. They collaborate closely with the team to refine requirements, provide clarifications, and ensure the development aligns with the product vision.
- Product Manager: Product Managers engage with various stakeholders, including customers, executives, marketing teams, sales teams, and development teams. They gather insights from stakeholders, incorporate feedback into product decisions, and effectively communicate the product strategy and roadmap to different groups.
- Strategic Decision-Making:
- Product Owner: The Product Owner focuses on making tactical decisions related to the development process. They prioritise user stories, make trade-offs between features, and ensure the development team is working on the most valuable tasks.
- Product Manager: Product Managers are responsible for making strategic decisions that shape the direction and success of the product. They define the product vision, identify market opportunities, determine the target market, and make high-level decisions regarding product features, pricing, and positioning.
Read more : 9 simple checks to avoid developing a failed product!
In summary, while both the Product Owner and Product Manager roles involve managing products, the Product Owner’s focus is typically on the tactical execution within Agile frameworks, whereas the Product Manager has a broader strategic responsibility for the product’s success.
