Striving for Freedom in a Large-Scale Agile Environment with an Entrepreneurial Mindset of a Product Owner

Abstract

In a large-scale agile environment, a Product Owner receives requests from many different directions. Freedom to influence the direction of the product and push ideas forward sometimes requires saying “no”. This is a case study that has been made by interviewing several Product Owners or people working in a Product Owner type of role. The case company, which is a large financial organization, encourages Product Owners to take responsibility by valuing an entrepreneurial mindset. This research examines whether it is possible to exercise entrepreneurial freedom in the Product Owner’s work, and how much freedom the Product Owner has in the direction of the product, i.e. whether they have the freedom to say “no”. A total of 18 Product Owners, and those in similar roles, as well as managers from the case company, were interviewed. The findings show that the role of the Product Owner needs to be clarified in order to have more freedom to act. Prioritizing is difficult and saying “no” is more difficult than desired. Product Owners find the urge for an entrepreneurial attitude understandable, however, it does not seem to fit perfectly into the everyday work life of a Product Owner in a large-scale set-up. When the understanding of the role deepens, Product Owners could have greater freedom to make their products successful.