A framework for understanding and evaluating data product owners

Data product owners are crucial members of data teams who ensure alignment between the end-users' needs and the efforts of individual contributors. They play two key roles: customer representative, where they understand user requirements and drive conversations with stakeholders; and collaborator, where they keep the team focused on the end goal. The difference between product owners, product managers, and project managers lies in their approach (agile vs waterfall), scope, and perspective. Product owners are responsible for managing the backlog and representing users' interests, while product managers take a broader strategic approach. In a data team, the product owner works with users to define and prioritize the backlog of stories, acts as an ambassador for the operations team, and helps determine what is needed and advocates for the relative priorities of those needs. The metrics of success for product owners include adoption rate, trustworthiness, downtime, failure rate, tech debt, lead time, estimation margin of error, risk management, business model alignment, and product vision. These frameworks can help assess the needs of a growing data team and plan for future growth.