Although domain experts
and other on-site customers can fill in for the product manager for a time, the project is likely to start
30 C H A P T E R 3 : U N D E R S T A N D I N G X P
drifting off-course unless the product manager participates in every iteration. [Rooney] experienced
that problem, with regrettable results:
We weren??™t sure what our priorities were. We weren??™t exactly sure what to work on next. We
pulled stories from the overall list, but there was precious little from the Customer [product
manager] in terms of what we should be working on. This went on for a few months.
Then, we found out that the Gold Owner [executive sponsor] was pissed??”really pissed. We
hadn??™t been working on what this person thought we should.
In a predictable environment, and by delegating to a solid set of on-site customers, a product manager
might be able to spend most of his time on other things, but he should still participate in every
retrospective, every iteration demo, and most release planning sessions.
Some companies have a committee play the role of product manager, but I advise against this approach.
The team needs a consistent vision to follow, and I??™ve found that committees have trouble creating
consistent, compelling visions.
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