Which TWO of the following are responsibilities of the Product Owner in Scrum?
Trap 1: Facilitating the Daily Scrum.
Facilitating the Daily Scrum belongs to the Scrum Master, who coaches the team through the event and keeps it within its timebox. The Product Owner attends to clarify backlog items but does not run it. This is tempting because the Product Owner owns backlog priority, so people assume they chair every ceremony.
Trap 2: Removing impediments for the team.
Removing impediments is the Scrum Master's responsibility, serving the team by clearing blockers that slow delivery. The Product Owner focuses on backlog ordering and stakeholder value. It tempts because the Product Owner is accountable for delivery outcomes, so people assume they must also unblock the developers themselves.
Trap 3: Enforcing timeboxes for Sprint events.
Enforcing timeboxes for Sprint events is the Scrum Master's accountability, since they safeguard the process and coach the team on Scrum theory. The Product Owner instead maximises product value through backlog management. It tempts because the Product Owner is accountable for the Sprint's outcome, which is often confused with running its ceremonies.
- A
Facilitating the Daily Scrum.
Why it fails: Facilitating the Daily Scrum belongs to the Scrum Master, who coaches the team through the event and keeps it within its timebox. The Product Owner attends to clarify backlog items but does not run it. This is tempting because the Product Owner owns backlog priority, so people assume they chair every ceremony.
- B
Prioritizing the Product Backlog items.
The Product Owner alone owns backlog ordering, placing highest-value items first so the team always works on what delivers most business impact. This ordering responsibility is distinct from merely writing or refining items, and it directly satisfies the stem's requirement for a genuine Product Owner accountability in Scrum.
- C
Managing the Product Backlog.
Managing the Product Backlog means the Product Owner ensures it is visible, transparent and understood, expressing items clearly enough for the Developers to estimate and pull. This accountability, not a committee or Scrum Master, satisfies the stem's requirement for a core Product Owner responsibility in Scrum.
- D
Removing impediments for the team.
Why it fails: Removing impediments is the Scrum Master's responsibility, serving the team by clearing blockers that slow delivery. The Product Owner focuses on backlog ordering and stakeholder value. It tempts because the Product Owner is accountable for delivery outcomes, so people assume they must also unblock the developers themselves.
- E
Enforcing timeboxes for Sprint events.
Why it fails: Enforcing timeboxes for Sprint events is the Scrum Master's accountability, since they safeguard the process and coach the team on Scrum theory. The Product Owner instead maximises product value through backlog management. It tempts because the Product Owner is accountable for the Sprint's outcome, which is often confused with running its ceremonies.