A Technical Product Owner (TPO) is a key player in product development, who oversees the technical aspects of the product and acts as a vital link between technical teams and business stakeholders. This role demands a unique blend of technical knowledge and product vision, to ensure that products align with business objectives and meet stringent technical requirements. TPOs are responsible for translating business needs into technical solutions, guiding development teams, and prioritizing features that deliver high value.
In this blog post, we'll delve into the multifaceted role of a TPO, starting with their core responsibilities. We'll discuss the qualifications and skills needed to excel in this role, such as a strong understanding of both software development and business processes.
They are also experts in the product they create and if you want to understand more technical product owner, we recommend Product Owner training to help you get started on your learning journey.
Who are Technical Product Owners?
Technical product owners are subject-matter experts who use their technical knowledge to bridge the gap between product development and product design. They bring life to a product through the implementation of the vision and direction set forth in the product roadmap. Technical product managers have deep knowledge of the technical aspects and functions of their products.
They know the product's unique features and how these individuals fit into the overall company plan. They can guide product strategy and communicate with the development team. It is safe to say that technical product managers are the glue between an organization's business and technical sides.
FreelancermapEducation and Work Experience Needed for Technical Product Owner
A technical product owner generally requires the following requirements:
Education
Employers generally have requirements that technical product owners at least possess a bachelor's degree in an area or subject of computer science or software engineering, information technology, or any other related field. Some employers might hire candidates with a similar associate degree or prior work experience that is comparable to having a bachelor's degree.
| Education Level | Description |
| Bachelor's Degree | A degree in fields like Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or Business. |
| Master's Degree (Optional) | Master's in Business Administration (MBA), Information Systems, or Engineering Management. |
| Technical Certifications | Certifications like Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM). |
| Industry-Specific Certifications | Certifications in cloud technologies (AWS, Azure), programming languages, or system architecture (e.g., TOGAF). |
| Continuous Learning | Courses in emerging technologies like AI, data science, or DevOps practices. |
Experience and Training
Technical product owners usually get on-the-job training to understand the particular products and processes of their company. They can also be trained in the specific technical abilities they require to carry out their tasks, including the management of databases and programming.
Certifications and Licenses
There are a variety of technical certifications that could be beneficial for a product owner to acquire. These certifications show the knowledge of the owner in particular applications or products and enable them to collaborate better in technical departments.
Technical Product Owner Responsibilities
The job of a technical owner isn't well-defined within the Scrum methodology. In reality, what does a technical product owner do only comes into play when the necessity arises. This is why it's an on-demand job where the responsibilities are established after the position has been created. Here is a small overview of the technical product owner roles and responsibilities:
1. Technical Resource
The technical product owner serves as the technical expert for the agile owner of the product and the Scrum team's members. The product owner might not be knowledgeable regarding all aspects of development. It's not uncommon for product owners to have a difficult time when they need to look over technological or infrastructure-related user errors.
In this scenario, the product owner requires an expert in technical support who can accomplish three things:
- Know the needs of your customers.
- Learn the technical requirements in the Backlog and then upload them by the product's owner.
- Incorporate clarifications and solutions in the manner that is expected.
The technical product owner carries technical information into discussions about strategic aspects of the product. All products require a longer-term plan and planning, which requires a knowledge of the technical features and capabilities. The presence of a person who can make correct technical choices can be extremely helpful.
Without a technical product owner, especially someone from the development team should be involved in the decisions making, planning, and mapping (as technical resources) that could negatively impact the daily scrum as well as short-term deliverables from members of the team. If you employ an expert in development (an experienced and principal person) in the planning process, it can affect the current efficiency in a negative way.
Technical product owners save the day because they function as an individual not part of a Scrum. Instead, they collaborate with the product owner and aid in the technical plan.
2. Technical Advisor
Technical product owners act as technical advisers to the product owner and the stakeholders. This includes the client, the product manager, the C Suite, the scrum master development team, and other internal departments (e.g., sales, marketing support for customers, etc.).
As such, an engineer or product manager works in tandem with the product owner. They are more involved in technical discussions as opposed to regular owners of products.
Some of the most essential roles a technical product manager does as a technical adviser include:
- Helping and advising the owner with important technical decisions.
- Sprint planning and resolving any technical doubts.
- Enhancing the efficiency of the team by determining what goes into and out of.
- Aiding the product's owner in determining and managing technical stories.
- Assisting in the creation of stories relating to debts involving technical nature.
Technical product owners aren’t directly involved in the planning process. The role of a technical advisor is to help the owner of the product, as maximizing the value of the product is the duty of the person who owns the product and not the responsibility of an expert technical advisor. A product that is being developed requires extensive preparation and a road map to proper execution. It also requires an expert who fully comprehends the technical capabilities. A specialist will be helpful, particularly in making the right technical choices in the company.
Technical resources translate technical requirements in a logical way and incorporate these into the backlog of products. They also ensure that they include user stories and make sure that the product's strategies align with customers' demands. If the technical product owner is not in the office, another member of this team must take over the responsibility for planning and mapping. Be aware that this can impact the team's capacity to provide outcomes in the short run.
3. Customer-Technology Bridge
Many clients are not technically proficient. In reality, the majority of clients don't. They just want things to be done.
There needs to be someone (other than the person who owns the product or the client advocate) who can communicate with the customer, comprehend their requirements, explain technical terms to them, offer reasonable estimates, help customers understand what's feasible and what's not while ensuring that technical information is transparent.
The three scrum pillars are to be maintained in a technical manner by the technical product owner.
- Transparency
- Inspection
- The Adaptation
The technical product owner, thus, serves as the bridge between the development team and the customer. This involves checking the sprint regularly, making corrective steps to ensure that the sprint is not a mess, and communicating those actions to the client in a simple manner. A technical product manager acts as a bridge that links the customer with an agile group. They function in two ways.
4. Connecting Scrum Teams with Product Owners
A technical product owner ensures a smooth and clear connection between a client and the scrum group, which is crucial to ensure rapid development, a solid connection between the product's owner and the team is just as vital.
The owner of the product is accountable for managing the backlog of products, which includes:
- Communicating and defining the goal of the product.
- Making, ordering, and distributing backlog items from the product.
- Making backlog transparent, understandable, and easily accessible.
All technical items that are in the backlog of the product are created, ordered, and then communicated to the owner of the technical product in order to make it clear and understandable. The agile team is unable to meet the deadline when the product owner is unable to communicate and create backlog items due to a lack of technical understanding.
To maintain a clear relationship between the product owner and the team of developers, the technical product owner takes care of the entire process, and it must be running with maximum efficiency. In the case of highly technical products or in situations where the product owner isn't comfortable with technical terms, the presence of a technical product manager is required.
5. Technical Consultant
Typically, technical product owners collaborate with the product's owners. However, their role isn't restricted to this. They also act as technical experts to the individuals such as business managers, owners of products, Scrum Masters, and team members.
In their capacity as technical experts, they offer assistance in the areas of:
- Give assistance on the Sprint plan (pinpointing the areas to go into and those that should not)
- Help the team with crucial technical decisions.
- Help product owners create and manage stories regarding technical debt.
6. Backend Infrastructure Management and Systems Maintenance
A technically challenging task that requires deep technical expertise. This is best handled by a tech-savvy product owner. It requires tasks such as design, especially for large-scale products in which multiple scrum teams are working in tandem.
A technical product owner could effectively manage ten scrum teams. Technical product owners are able to consolidate their work on technical issues and create a common technical backlog for the entire team. This includes things from software design, test architecture along with UX design. The tech product owner arranges backlog items through a process of technical flow and then prioritizes them.
Technical Product Owner Qualifications and Skills
The job of a technical product owner requires a unique mix of soft and technical product owner skills. We will go over each of them. The owners of technical products need to have these skills to succeed:
Technical Product Owner skills & qualificationTech Skills
Project Management Skills
The term "project management" refers to the capability to ensure the completeness of a task in a timely manner as well as within the budget. As the technical product's owner, you may not have the authority to oversee your development staff. However, you can still utilize your skills in project management to ensure that the team stays on the right track. Additionally, you can use your skills in project management to assist the team in setting goals and monitoring their development.
Tech Expertise
It is essential to be knowledgeable about technologies and the way it functions to make an informed decision about the technology to choose for your product.
The skills they possess must be developed to keep up with the latest developments and technological advancements. To become successful in this field, you must have these skills:
- Software Development (SDLC, programming languages architecture, etc.)
- Agile development and Scrum methods
- Designing, Coding, and Designing
- Experience with tools and applications
- User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Design
- Stories of the user (creation and administration)
- Product Development
Soft Skills
While the job itself is usually technical, a tech product manager must keep in mind the appropriate soft capabilities. Here are some important soft skills to be aware of:
Communication Skills
Communication skills are definitely essential for all tech-savvy product managers. In the absence of it, they will not bring their vision for the product to life. Effective communication is essential to collaborating to work with Agile team members and clients in a seamless manner.
As a technical product owner with technical expertise, you interact with multiple people, including members of the development team as well as sales teams, marketing teams, and even customers. Effective communication is essential for your performance as a producer. Communicating effectively through written format, verbal and visual methods, and infographics and presentations is important.
Problem-solving Skills
Technical product owners must be able to resolve issues and make the right decisions for the product and company. They must be able to recognize issues and develop solutions that are beneficial to all who are associated with the project. This includes improving the product as well as ways to save money and coming up with solutions to satisfy the demands of the customers.
Decision-making Skills
Technical product owners make various choices throughout the day which can impact the goals and objectives of the business. They should be able to make decisions that are in line with the goals and goals. They must also be able to articulate the reasoning behind each decision.
Analytical Capabilities
It's another crucial ability that tech product managers should not be without. The ability to collect and analyze information and resolve complicated problems helps them make informed decisions fast. Analytical skills, as a matter of fact, include areas like:
- Research
- Logical reasoning
- Creativity
- Data analysis
- Critical thinking
A mix of these subcategories assists tech-savvy product managers in thinking through their ideas, especially when faced with problems. It is an extremely analytical position that involves finding solutions and solving daily problems.
Technical Product Owner Job Description
The technical product owners are responsible for managing the development of new products and features. A technical product owner job requires subject-matter expertise, using technical knowledge to bridge the gap between product and technical aspects of product development. They collaborate closely with designers, developers, and other stakeholders to make their ideas a reality. They bring life to a product by implementing the vision and direction set forth in the product roadmap.
Job Summary of a Technical Product Owner
Technical product owners typically have many responsibilities. These technical product owner job description can include:
- Collaboration with designers to create mockups for the final product.
- Assisting the development team in clarifying requirements and helping them to understand the business side.
- Before moving to the next stage, prototypes and other proofs of concepts must be reviewed for feasibility.
- You can verify that the product meets customer needs by reviewing feedback from customers or conducting usability testing.
- Communication with stakeholders is important to ensure everyone is on the exact same page about features, functionality, deadlines, and other details.
- Prioritizing product backlog items is based on their business value, the time required to complete them, and the order they were created.
- To ensure that developers understand each project's requirements, coordinate with them.
- Communication of project status and roadblocks with other members of the team.
Product Owner vs Technical Product Owner Differences
The roles of a Technical Product Owner (TPO) and a Product Owner (PO) are often compared due to their overlap in responsibilities within Agile frameworks. However, while both focus on delivering value through product development, their scopes and areas of expertise are very different. Let's see how the two differ from one another in the following table:
Parameter | Product Owner | Technical Product Owner |
1. Focus Area | Prioritizes customer needs and business goals. | Focuses on the technical aspects and feasibility of the product. |
2. Responsibilities | Manages the product backlog, defines user stories, and aligns the team with business objectives. | Oversees technical requirements, architecture, and integration with engineering teams. |
3. Stakeholder Interaction | Engages primarily with business stakeholders and customers. | Collaborates closely with development teams and technical stakeholders. |
4. Skillset | Strong understanding of market trends, customer needs, and business strategy. | Deep technical knowledge, including software development and system architecture. |
5. Decision-Making | Focuses on delivering customer value and achieving business goals. | Ensures technical solutions align with product goals and are technically sound. |
6. Documentation | Creates and maintains user-facing product documentation. | Develops and updates technical documentation, such as API guides and system specs. |
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Salary Range of Technical Product Owner
Salary Range of Technical Product Owner
The salary for a Technical Product Owner can vary significantly depending on several factors, including:
- Experience level: Entry-level Technical Product Owners typically earn lower salaries compared to mid-level and senior-level professionals.
- Location: Salaries in major tech hubs tend to be higher than in smaller cities.
- Company size and industry: Larger companies and tech-intensive industries often offer higher salaries.
- Specific skills and certifications: Technical Product Owners with specialized skills or certifications, such as PMP or Scrum Master, usually command higher salaries.
Professionals can assess their earning potential and make wise career decisions by having a thorough understanding of these factors.
In the United States, the average salary for a Technical Product Owner is approximately $99,200 per year, with a typical range between $85,000 and $130,300. On an hourly basis, Technical Product Owners earn an average of $57.50, with rates ranging from $44.50 to $75.50 per hour.
Here's a breakdown of the estimated salary range for Technical Product Owners in India:
- Entry-level (0-3 years experience): ₹6,00,000 - ₹12,00,000 per year
- Mid-level (3-5 years experience): ₹12,00,000 - ₹25,00,000 per year
- Senior-level (5+ years experience): ₹25,00,000 and above per year
Investing in professional development, such as KnowledgeHut Product Owner courses, can further enhance their skill set and potentially lead to better career opportunities and higher salaries.
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Conclusion
As the tech industry continues to evolve, a career as a Technical Product Owner offers lucrative opportunities for you to grow up the ladder. With a strong foundation in both technical and product management skills, you can move into higher roles such as Senior Product Owner, Product Manager, or even Chief Product Officer. Alternatively, you could also transition into consulting, offering your expertise to other businesses in their product development process.
Investing in expanding your skill set through certification courses, such as KnowledgeHut's Agile training, can further enhance your career. In order to become an expert in a particular domain, you can also specialize in specific technical areas. Networking with industry professionals and staying updated on the latest trends can also open new doors for career advancement. Whether you choose leadership, specialization, or training, there are multiple pathways to grow and succeed in the dynamic field of technical product management.
