Discussion Summary: Product Owners November 2024 - sanjaygupta-professional/test2 GitHub Wiki

Key Insights

Current Role & Responsibilities

1. Team Structure

   • Acting as bridge between Product Management and Engineering
   • Supporting multiple streams (Data, Virtual Agent, Insights)
   • Transitioning from backend-only to end-to-end ownership
   • Team expanding from 2 to 4 POs (including Nishant and Rajat)

2. Work Distribution

   • Currently shifting from technology-based to feature-based ownership
   • Three work streams identified:
     • Change practitioner and visualization (Yannick)
     • Data and analytics (Yannick)
     • Virtual agent (Ben)
   • Transition planning in progress for new structure

Current Challenges

1. Requirements Management

   • Late requirements availability for sprint planning
   • Multiple back-and-forth with Product Managers due to timezone differences
   • Challenges in getting complete requirements before sprint start
   • Limited time for requirement refinement

2. Team Coordination

   • Large team size (40+ developers) making coordination difficult
   • Complex pod structure (Pod 1 & Pod 2)
   • QA team working as separate entity
   • Multiple daily meetings leading to time constraints
   • Challenges coordinating across different time zones

3. Process Issues

   • Long grooming sessions (sometimes 6-7 hours)
   • Large group meetings with 60-70 people
   • Unclear boundaries between technical and functional stories
   • Limited visibility into technical dependencies
   • Challenges tracking feature completeness

Working Patterns

1. Daily Rhythm

   • Morning standup with full team
   • Separate functional connect at 11 AM
   • Multiple grooming sessions
   • Regular connects with Product Managers
   • Evening coordination with US teams

2. Sprint Ceremonies

   • Two-week sprint cycle
   • Grooming spread across multiple sessions
   • Sprint planning heavily dependent on Pod allocation
   • Complex review process with multiple signoffs

Pain Points

1. Process Challenges

   • Unclear ownership boundaries
   • Limited advance planning
   • Complex coordination requirements
   • Heavy meeting load
   • Documentation scattered across tools

2. Team Dynamics

   • Large team sizes affecting efficiency
   • Siloed QA activities
   • Limited cross-team collaboration
   • Blame culture during issues

3. Tool Usage

   • Multiple tools for documentation (Confluence, Excel, ADO)
   • Limited visibility into dependencies
   • Challenges in feature tracking
   • Complex ADO structure

Improvement Opportunities

Immediate Needs

1. Process Optimization

   • Streamline grooming process
   • Optimize team size
   • Improve requirements flow
   • Enhance cross-team coordination

2. Team Structure

   • Clear role definition
   • Better pod organization
   • Integrated QA approach
   • Optimized meeting structure

3. Tools & Documentation

   • Consolidated documentation
   • Better dependency tracking
   • Improved visibility
   • Streamlined ADO usage

Key Focus Areas

1. Requirements Process

   • Earlier requirement availability
   • Better refinement process
   • Clear acceptance criteria
   • Improved estimation process

2. Team Collaboration

   • Smaller, focused teams
   • Integrated QA
   • Better pod structure
   • Clear ownership model

3. Ceremonies & Meetings

   • Optimized grooming
   • Structured planning
   • Effective reviews
   • Regular feedback loops

Next Steps

Immediate Actions

1. Document current process flows
2. Identify quick win opportunities
3. Plan team structure improvements
4. Define clear roles and responsibilities

Short Term Improvements

1. Implement new team structure
2. Optimize ceremonies
3. Enhance documentation
4. Improve tool usage

Recommendations

1. Team Structure

   • Break down into smaller teams
   • Integrate QA into development teams
   • Clear ownership boundaries
   • Better coordination mechanisms

2. Process Improvements

   • Structured requirement flow
   • Optimized ceremonies
   • Clear documentation standards
   • Regular feedback loops

3. Tools & Visibility

   • Enhanced ADO structure
   • Better dependency tracking
   • Consolidated documentation
   • Improved metrics

Support Needs

1. Process Definition

   • Clear guidelines
   • Templates
   • Best practices
   • Training support

2. Tool Optimization

   • ADO configuration
   • Documentation structure
   • Metrics dashboard
   • Tracking mechanisms

3. Team Development

   • Role clarity
   • Skill development
   • Collaboration practices
   • Communication patterns

Follow-up Actions

1. Share process documentation
2. Plan team restructuring
3. Define new ceremonies
4. Implement quick wins
5. Schedule regular check-ins