Scrum Master vs Product Owner Differences in Agile Methodology (skills, duties and responsibilities)

Agile is a methodology to do work in the easy and convenient way. Scrum is the most famous agile methodology. Every Agile methodology consists of four main roles, which are

  • Product owner
  • Scrum master
  • scrum team
  • stakeholder

In scrum software development methodology, Scrum master and product owner are two main roles, which are responsible for separate areas of the project. Both are necessary for the project. In Agile methodology Scrum master is a bridge between product owner and development team.

Scrum doesn’t have project managers. Instead, the team is empowered. They’re responsible for the outcome, and they can manage themselves. The classic project manager ‘boss’ of the team isn’t needed in Scrum.

–by Jeff Sutherland

Scrum Master (SM)

In Agile development methodology, Scrum Master cares about that how the team’s work. Increases team efficiency, motivate his team, spins, argues for changes that will ensure quality and timeliness.
Ensure observance of DoD. Thanks to the measured velocity know how much work will be done in the Sprint. Thanks to the care of the compliance with the quality we are sure that the system does not fall on the second day after the start. Thanks to his soft work well.

Scrum Master Skills:

The Scrum Master ensures that daily stand-ups are held at a fixed time every day for up to 15 minutes.

–by Jeff Sutherland, The Power of Scrum

  • Scrum master coordinate with his team friendly to make an ideal team for agile development.
    Scrum master improve the product quality.
  • Certified Scrum master certification, would be an advantage but not necessary
  • He protects his team from any distraction and helps them to stay focused and follow agreed-upon rules for scrum meetings.
  • He helps PO to maximize ROI to meet his objectives through the scrum.
  • He removes barriers between from product owner and development team.
  • Scrum master accepts tasks and encourages his team to meet the deadline.
  • Scrum master is like a coach who helps his team to perform better.
  • He has the full authority all over the process.
  • Scrum Master shield the team from any interference.
  • Scrum master Cooperate with the Organization, to track the company’s progress and process.
  • He helps his team to understand self-management and cross-functionality.
  • A good Scrum master has a Project management, Engineering, Designing, Testing background and disciplines.
  • He provides constant guidance to his team.

Duties of Scrum Master

  • He facilitates his team for better creativity and try his best to improve the efficiency of the development team.
  • Scrum master is responsible for managing scrum process in Agile methodology, with the coordination of scrum team.
  • Scrum master has the responsibility to removes the impediments for the scrum team.
  • Scrum master arranged daily stand-up meetings, scheduled meetings, demo, facilitate meetings and decision-making processes in order to ensure quick inspection and proper use of adaptation process.
  • He helps product owner to make product backlog in good shape and make it ready for the next sprint
  • Most important part of SM job is to remove impediments.
  • Conduct retrospective meeting.
  • Organize and facilitate the sprint planning meeting
  • Act as safeguard for team

Product owner (PO)

The product owner is a demanding position in agile methodology, PO need to understand the clear vision of a product from the customer, end user or stakeholders point of view. The product Owner is responsible for managing the product backlog and product backlog visibility. He ensures the business value of the product.

Product Onwer Skills

First-time product owners need time, trust, and support to grow into their new role.

–by Roman Pichler.

  • The Poroduct owner should know the business value of product and customers demanding features.
    He should be available to the development team for the consultation, so that the team can implement the features correctly.
  • Product owner needs to understand the feature/program from the point of view of end-user, not from the point of view of the developer.
  • In most organizations marketing is discussed on the sales level, product owner job is to facilitate marketing persons and guide them to make those goals achievable.
  • The Product owner is responsible for the product, from a business point of view.
  • Product owner has a vision for the perfect product.
  • His focus is on ROI (return on investment).
  • He assesses values, Develop cases,themes and epics to ensure that work focuses on product strategy
  • He solves problems, complete trade-off analysis and makes decisions to stay on business deliverable commitment track.
  • He expresses the voice of the customers.
  • He collaborates with stakeholders during the concept development and visioning of the product.
  • He works with project managers and technical leads to priorities and determines the scope for product development cycles.
  • The product owner is client’s voice. His job is to report ROI, product effectiveness and risk analysis.
  • Sometimes the product owner and the customers are same, but sometimes the customers are might be thousands/millions of peoples.

Duties of Product Owner

  • Product owner attends sprint demo and sprint planning meetings. Attending daily scrum is also recommended but it’s optional.
  • He ranks the product features so that development team can clearly understand them.
  • Product owner is responsible for forming a deadline for the project.
  • His duty is to defines requirements and priorities.
  • He is responsible for determining the release date and contents.
  • is responsible for managing and developing the product backlog. He prioritized backlog of user stories for implementation.
  • His job is to define epics/user stories to Agile development team.
  • He needs to make sure that user stories are explained well and alway in right priority in backlog. Backlog grooming meeting practice is conducted by the team of product owners, but it’s optional in some organizations.
  • Spend some time with the team to prioritize/groom the user stories with few team members. Not all need to be involved.