Have you ever heard of Product Owner and don't know exactly what this professional is?
The “product owner”, as the name implies, is responsible for a project that is being developed by an agile team.
If you want to know what a PO does in practice, how much you can earn and how the job market is currently for this function, you've come to the right place.
In this article, we will show you the ideal path to becoming a Product Owner.
Product owner and agility
Before we go any further, in case you don't know what an agile methodology is, here's a brief summary:
Software development was slow and rigid before 2001. That's when a group of 17 developers got together and discussed the subject. They then published the Agile Manifesto, where they listed 4 principles to redefine the way of developing software.
From there emerged some methodologies, such as the Safe, scrum and Kanban. Today, these methodologies are recognized as effective and used in various types of projects, not just in software development.
We don't need to go into the 4 pillars of agile development right now. What is worth reinforcing now is the relevance of their objective: to make the workflow more productive, quickly and flexibly.
The Product Owner is an Agilist professional, that is, who implements an agile methodology or leads a project based on Scrum, Kanban, etc. He is largely responsible for maximizing the value that the product/project will generate for the company.
The PO forms a communication bridge between the product development team, the organization's directors and the customer. Did you find it interesting? So check it out!
What does a Product Owner do?

The Product Owner is a professional who assumes the responsibility of “unlocking” the production flow and guaranteeing the delivery of the product/project. There are many similar functions, which you cannot confuse.
Therefore, to define well what a Product Owner does, it is very interesting to understand, first, what this professional does not do.
What does the PO not do?
Product Owners are often confused with:
- Product Managers: It is a very similar position, adopted by some companies. Normally, he only focuses on the strategy and looks outside, without having contact with the team. It's like a position above the PO in a hierarchical line.
- scrum masters: is an agile team manager and is related only to the Scrum methodology. It deals only with the team and its expertise is only in the product and method.
- Business Analyst: is a role played by various characters within the organization. Many different job titles can serve as a business analyst at some point, including but not limited to PO
Among these roles, Product Manager is the most similar. Therefore, it is important to list the differences between the duties of each professional more clearly.
When there is a Product Manager figure in the project, they are like a hierarchical promotion of the other.
Product Owners have direct contact with the team, which is not the case with Product Managers. The PO has a broad view of the project, but the Manager does not.
While the Owner looks at the steps and sets priorities, the Manager takes care of the results and analyzes metrics.
However, many times, the figure of the PM does not exist, and the Product Owner accumulates its functions. Now, we can proceed.
But, after all, what does the PO actually do?
The Product Owner is a professional who understands the demands of the customer and other stakeholders. Stakeholders are all those interested in the project, inside and outside the organization.
It separates requests and ideas, setting priorities to move the project forward in the fastest, most economical and functional way possible. The aim is to add maximum value to the product.
Among the various functions of the Product Owner, we can highlight:
- defend the interest of the end user, its best experience with the product;
- seek the resources necessary for the best progress of the project;
- set priorities on the to-do list, called backlog from the project;
- be responsible for the project as a whole, it is his power to decision-making;
- evaluate deliveries, answer questions and interact directly with the team;
- understand requests and solve doubts, also, from the stakeholders;
- care for the organizational climate, not allowing to overload the team;
- seek a clear vision of the product and broad understanding of business;
- establish critérios to justify their decision-making.
Product Owners are highly sought after professionals. They play a key role in the project and need to be approachable, friendly and clear, as well as very enthusiastic.
This professional is directly linked to the first pillar of the Agile Manifesto, That say:
“Individuals and interactions are more important than processes and tools.”
It is necessary to humanize the projects as much as possible. Even in projects with the most advanced T. Creating a quality communication network is essential to ensure excellence in the interaction between the parties involved.
Types of Product Owner

Roman Pichler, specialist in product management and agile methodologies, is a reference worldwide. Having worked with companies like Salesforce, Ebay and even Google, he has written 3 books on the subject.
For sure, Roman has one of the best visions of how we can rank the Product Owners. For him, there are 6 types:
Scrum Product Owner
It is the professional who holds all the responsibilities of a product being developed with Scrum. Later on, we will see that other types of PO arise when we are working with another agile methodology.
Feature Owner and Component Owner
When the product, or project, is too big, responsibility can be divided. Thus, two new figures emerge:
1. The owner of some specific feature within the product. A feature that, by itself, is the size of an entire product. This is the Feature Owner, which should have more focus on user needs.
2. Likewise, a product component can be huge. Responsibility is then passed to the Component Owner, which needs to focus on technical skills.
Platform Owner
When the product is a multi-featured platform, we have seen that there is a division of responsibilities between Feature Owners and Component Owners. But, there is still a need for someone to take care of this product as a whole: the Platform Owner.
SAFe Product Owner
SAFe is an agile methodology that aims to scale and accelerate processes. You may remember that we saw the figure of the Product Manager, often confused with the PO
When we adopt the SAFe methodology, this division becomes clear. The Product Manager figure becomes indispensable, so that the PO takes care of the details and has more time to interact with the team(s).
O SAFe Product Owner focuses on tactics, looking inward. And it requires the presence of the PM figure in the strategic part.
Note that the difference to Scrum PO is obvious and is directly related to the adopted agile methodology.
Portfolio Owner
When there are several products and, mainly, when there is a need for integration or compatibility between them, someone is needed to have a broad view of all of them.
This is Portfolio owner, that is, a product portfolio is also a product in itself and requires someone to manage it.
How much does a Product Owner make?

As we've seen, a Product Owner can be involved in a single project, a part of the project, or a portfolio of multiple projects. And the greater the responsibility, the better the pay.
A PO needs to combine strategy and execution. For this, you need to develop skills that we will see later. With such responsibility, salaries are very attractive.
According to I reveal, the average salary in the area in 2020 was BRL 8.505,79. When searching for Product Owner jobs on catho, the salaries offered are between R$ 6.000,00 and R$ 20.000,00. However, most vacancies have flexibility (salary to match).
We found vacancies for both CLT and PJ. The difference in the hiring regime was not as relevant as the skills and experience requirements in the area. Therefore, be sure to check ahead what are the skills and competencies of a successful PO.
Job market for the Product Owner

In addition to other products, the technology market continues to grow and generate new opportunities. One of the best examples is the app market.
However, the technology Product Owner can still command a number of other projects, such as website development and a multitude of software.
Not by chance, when we searched the catho, the site showed 378 vacancies for PO Among them, there are opportunities to coordinate projects of:
- Marketplace;
- Internet banking;
- Foods;
- Automotive glass;
- Among many other markets and products.
Anyone looking for a CLT vacancy will find offers for junior, senior and full POs. Some jobs may have related career descriptions. Good examples are: Product Design, Product Manager etc.
Those looking for an opportunity autonomously (CNPJ) will usually find remuneration 30% higher than the CLT.
In that case, you will have good opportunities on freelance platforms. Another option is the partnership with specialist agencies in setting up remote marketing or technology squads.
Skills and competencies for the Product Owner

PO is a function that arises with Agile methodologies. Obviously, he must be very knowledgeable about them, especially the one adopted by the organization.
He also needs to be excellent in communication and negotiation, as one of his most important functions is to mediate the needs of the team and stakeholders.
Product Owners need to be able to extract maximum productivity from the team, turning it into value for the product. Soon, enthusiasm is also one of your skills.
In addition to English, which is fundamental nowadays in almost all functions, here are some requirements that frequently appear in PO vacancies:
Product Owner Skills
The Product Owner needs to have a robust toolbox, with technical and general skills:
- Management of backlog of product;
- Meeting management and sprints;
- Vision Intelligence of the product and the market;
- Analysis of metrics, data, KPIs;
- Communication of excellence;
- Commitment and sense of urgency.
Other skills are needed; Among them, one of the most important is know how to say "no" when an idea or request does not generate value for the product. This goes for the team, for the client and even for the heads of the organization.
Product Owner Skills
The Product Owner needs to generate value for the product and make life as easy as possible for the customer.
He also needs to always keep an eye on the end result, concerned with the complete satisfaction of the consumer with the product.
Therefore, it is not enough to have all the skills described above. You need to be able to work with:
- Transparency: honesty, dedication and commitment to the project.
- Organization: maintain the sprint and meeting agenda, as well as the product backlog, always keeping an eye on meeting deadlines.
- Initiative: dive into the project as if it were your own, always looking for the best solutions.
- Adaptation: one of the principles of any agile methodology is also to be flexible with regard to contingencies.
- Prediction: anticipating problems, proposing solutions and making quick decisions, aiming to minimize costs by mitigating risks.
- Feedback: the most important competence of the PO, as it bridges the gap between those interested in the project. Know how to listen and be in constant evolution.
Courses and certifications for the Product Owner

You can have training in different areas, such as content production ou website development. But, to be an agile methodology professional, it is good to prove your knowledge.
In addition, professional experience can help the professional to become a PO For example, passing through functions such as business analyst in other projects.
Free agile methodologies courses:
Coursera is a platform that brings together courses from best universities in the world. They are free, you only pay for issuing the certificate. Check out these two:
scrum.org has some desirable certifications to prove knowledge. You will find a lot of free study material on the website and you will only pay to take the assessment and get the certificate.
- PSPO I – Professional Scrum Product Owner – Fundamental
- PSPO II – Professional Scrum Product Owner – Advanced
- PSPO III – Professional Scrum Product Owner – Distinguished
You should keep up to date and also look for improvement courses in your area and on the general skills of a Product Owner, how to improve communication, for example. The possibilities are many.
The formations of alura are also a great alternative. With courses completely in Portuguese, it is possible to obtain the necessary knowledge to start or advance your career as a Product Owner. Check out:
- Digital Training & Agile Thinking
- Agile Manager Training - Agile Methodology
- Business Agility Training
How to get Product Owner jobs

If you want a job with a formal contract, you can look for it at Catho, which we mentioned earlier. Or even on other job offer sites.
If you want a job providing services like a PJ, you can look for partnerships with platforms that specialize in connecting clients and freelancers, such as Crowd.
And so? What do you think about becoming a Product Owner? Get started now by signing up for free as a freelancer with Crowd!