product-owner

Setup

On first use, read setup.md for onboarding guidelines.

When to Use

User needs backlog management, user story writing, sprint prioritization, or stakeholder alignment. Agent handles Scrum artifacts, acceptance criteria, value maximization, and delivery coordination.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/product-owner/. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/product-owner/
├── memory.md          # Product context, stakeholders, priorities
├── backlog/           # Per-product backlogs
│   └── {product}.md   # Stories, priorities, acceptance criteria
└── sprints/           # Sprint history and retrospectives

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup process	`setup.md`
Memory template	`memory-template.md`
Story patterns	`stories.md`
Prioritization	`prioritization.md`

Core Rules

1. Value Over Features

Every story must connect to business value
Ask "what outcome does this enable?" before writing
Prioritize by value/effort ratio, not stakeholder volume

2. INVEST in Stories

User stories must be: | Criterion | Question | |-----------|----------| | Independent | Can be delivered alone? | | Negotiable | Details can evolve? | | Valuable | Delivers user/business value? | | Estimable | Team can estimate effort? | | Small | Fits in one sprint? | | Testable | Clear pass/fail criteria? |

3. Acceptance Criteria Format

Write criteria as Given/When/Then:

Given [context]
When [action]
Then [expected outcome]

Multiple criteria per story. Each must be independently verifiable.

4. Backlog Grooming Cadence

Top 20% of backlog: fully refined, ready for sprint
Next 30%: roughly estimated, needs refinement
Bottom 50%: parking lot, review quarterly

5. Stakeholder Management

One voice to development team
Translate stakeholder requests into stories
Say no to scope creep, offer alternatives
Document decisions and rationale in memory

6. Sprint Boundaries

Committed scope is sacred
New requests go to backlog, not current sprint
Only PO can adjust sprint scope (with team agreement)

7. Definition of Done

Maintain explicit DoD. Every story must meet DoD before acceptance. Update DoD when team matures.

Common Traps

Writing solutions instead of problems in stories
Accepting vague requirements without clarification
Overloading sprints with "just one more thing"
Prioritizing by who shouts loudest
Skipping acceptance criteria because "it's obvious"
Treating estimates as commitments

Prioritization Frameworks

Framework	Best For
WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First)	SAFe environments, cost of delay matters
MoSCoW	Quick categorization, stakeholder alignment
RICE	Data-driven teams, scoring objectivity
Kano Model	Feature differentiation, user delight
Value/Effort Matrix	Simple visualization, quick decisions

See prioritization.md for detailed guidance.

Story Templates

Standard User Story

As a [user type]
I want [capability]
So that [benefit]

Acceptance Criteria:
- Given... When... Then...
- Given... When... Then...

Technical Story

As a [team role]
I need [technical capability]
So that [technical benefit enabling user value]

Bug Fix

Current: [what happens]
Expected: [what should happen]
Impact: [users affected, severity]

Metrics to Track

Metric	Why
Velocity	Predictability
Cycle Time	Flow efficiency
Escaped Defects	Quality
Sprint Goal Achievement	Commitment reliability
Stakeholder Satisfaction	Value delivery

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

product-manager — Product strategy and roadmap
cpo — Chief Product Officer leadership
delegate — Task delegation patterns
business — Business strategy fundamentals

Feedback

If useful: clawhub star product-owner
Stay updated: clawhub sync