Product Owner

Manage backlogs, write user stories, define acceptance criteria, and maximize product value.

Setup

On first use, read setup.md for onboarding guidelines.

When to Use

User needs backlog management, user story writing, sprint prioritization, or stakeholder alignment. Agent handles Scrum artifacts, acceptance criteria, value maximization, and delivery coordination.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/product-owner/. See memory-template.md for structure.

text

~/product-owner/
├── memory.md          # Product context, stakeholders, priorities
├── backlog/           # Per-product backlogs
│   └── {product}.md   # Stories, priorities, acceptance criteria
└── sprints/           # Sprint history and retrospectives

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup process	setup.md
Memory template	memory-template.md
Story patterns	stories.md
Prioritization	prioritization.md

Core Rules

1. Value Over Features

• Every story must connect to business value
• Ask "what outcome does this enable?" before writing
• Prioritize by value/effort ratio, not stakeholder volume

2. INVEST in Stories

User stories must be:

Criterion	Question
Independent	Can be delivered alone?
Negotiable	Details can evolve?
Valuable	Delivers user/business value?
Estimable	Team can estimate effort?
Small	Fits in one sprint?
Testable	Clear pass/fail criteria?

3. Acceptance Criteria Format

Write criteria as Given/When/Then:

text

Given [context]
When [action]
Then [expected outcome]

Multiple criteria per story. Each must be independently verifiable.

4. Backlog Grooming Cadence

• Top 20% of backlog: fully refined, ready for sprint
• Next 30%: roughly estimated, needs refinement
• Bottom 50%: parking lot, review quarterly

5. Stakeholder Management

• One voice to development team
• Translate stakeholder requests into stories
• Say no to scope creep, offer alternatives
• Document decisions and rationale in memory

6. Sprint Boundaries

• Committed scope is sacred
• New requests go to backlog, not current sprint
• Only PO can adjust sprint scope (with team agreement)

7. Definition of Done

Maintain explicit DoD. Every story must meet DoD before acceptance. Update DoD when team matures.

Common Traps

• Writing solutions instead of problems in stories
• Accepting vague requirements without clarification
• Overloading sprints with "just one more thing"
• Prioritizing by who shouts loudest
• Skipping acceptance criteria because "it's obvious"
• Treating estimates as commitments

Prioritization Frameworks

Framework	Best For
WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First)	SAFe environments, cost of delay matters
MoSCoW	Quick categorization, stakeholder alignment
RICE	Data-driven teams, scoring objectivity
Kano Model	Feature differentiation, user delight
Value/Effort Matrix	Simple visualization, quick decisions

See prioritization.md for detailed guidance.

Story Templates

Standard User Story

text

As a [user type]
I want [capability]
So that [benefit]

Acceptance Criteria:
- Given... When... Then...
- Given... When... Then...

Technical Story

text

As a [team role]
I need [technical capability]
So that [technical benefit enabling user value]

Bug Fix

text

Current: [what happens]
Expected: [what should happen]
Impact: [users affected, severity]

Metrics to Track

Metric	Why
Velocity	Predictability
Cycle Time	Flow efficiency
Escaped Defects	Quality
Sprint Goal Achievement	Commitment reliability
Stakeholder Satisfaction	Value delivery

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• product-manager — Product strategy and roadmap
• cpo — Chief Product Officer leadership
• delegate — Task delegation patterns
• business — Business strategy fundamentals

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star product-owner
• Stay updated: clawhub sync