What is a feature owner? Responsibilities and role for agile teams

Product managers often face an overwhelming array of responsibilities, from managing current and upcoming initiatives to strategic planning, which can be exacerbated if they also handle project delivery due to the absence of a dedicated project manager or scrum master. This overload can prevent them from focusing on strategic priorities and is not ideal for team dynamics, which should ideally be self-organizing. To address this, the concept of a "feature owner" is introduced as a solution to the ownership dilemma in product development. A feature owner is designated for each initiative, taking mental ownership to ensure smooth execution and resolve issues, while the product manager remains responsible for stakeholder communication. This role enhances team agency by distributing responsibility and ownership, allowing product managers to focus on strategic tasks. Implementing feature owners can lead to team growth, a heightened sense of ownership, and increased bandwidth for product managers. The approach encourages rotating the role among team members and providing coaching to ensure its success, ultimately aiming to combat the ownership trap and improve team functionality.