Product Owner

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

Security Scan

The skill is an instruction-only Product Owner assistant that stores product/backlog data locally and its requirements and behavior are consistent with the described purpose.

Purpose & Capability

Name/description align with the instructions: writing stories, prioritization, acceptance criteria, and backlog management. Declared behavior (local memory in ~/product-owner/, templates for stories/prioritization) is proportional and expected for a PO assistant.

Instruction Scope

Runtime instructions are self-contained and operate on local files under ~/product-owner/. They explicitly state no data is sent externally. One area to note: the skill encourages ongoing context gathering ('Gather info opportunistically' / 'status: ongoing'), which gives the agent latitude to ask follow-up questions over time and persist answers locally — this is reasonable for a PO but is broader discretion than a single-request helper. The SKILL.md does not instruct the agent to read unrelated system files or environment variables.

Install Mechanism

Instruction-only skill with no install spec, no binaries, and no downloads. Lowest-risk install footprint.

Credentials

No required environment variables, credentials, or external config paths are requested. All declared storage is local to the user's home directory and matches the skill's purpose.

Persistence & Privilege

Skill does persist data locally in ~/product-owner/ (memory, backlog, sprints). always:false and no elevated privileges requested. Autonomous invocation is allowed (platform default), but not combined with other red flags.

Assessment

This skill appears coherent and minimal-risk: it only writes local files under ~/product-owner/ and has no external network calls or secret requirements. Before installing, confirm you are comfortable with the agent creating and maintaining the ~/product-owner/ directory and that you will not store secrets or credentials in the backlog/memory files. Note the skill is designed to 'learn over time' and may ask follow-up questions across sessions; if you prefer one-off interactions, clarify that preference during setup. Finally, the skill can suggest installing related skills via clawhub but will do so only if you confirm.

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.

~/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:

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

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

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

Technical Story

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

Bug Fix

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