Product Manager vs. Product Owner: What’s the Difference and Does It Matter?

Determining ownership within a company's product development can be challenging due to the overlapping roles of product managers and product owners, which are influenced by different development methodologies. Product managers focus on refining the company's product vision, aligning it with customer and business needs, and strategically guiding the product's market positioning and development. They serve as a conduit for high-level information, translating market trends and customer feedback into actionable product strategies. Conversely, product owners operate in Agile environments, managing daily tasks and workflows to ensure efficient sprint execution and addressing customer pain points. They focus on translating customer needs into user stories and managing backlogs to optimize the product development process. The primary distinction between the two roles lies in their methodologies, with product ownership supporting Agile practices. This can lead to potential redundancy if roles are not clearly defined, especially in organizations where both Agile and non-Agile methods are used. Ultimately, the debate between product managers and product owners centers on methodology, with the goal of both roles being to deliver continual value to the team and the product.