[cmdkeen]

I agree with that assessment except for "the product owner should be the project manager". I do internal dev so product owners are from the business and know the problem domain and (with our help) know what they want. It's going to be different for software for selling - but still, the project owner should be the person with the vision who is the "single wringable neck", they should be responsible for negotiating on budget, deadlines etc. The job of being a PM is always going to be in tension with that of the PO, I can see them forming a good team but fundamentally the PM is the representative of management imposed from above.

[eitally]

I should have been clearer. I meant the tech-side PO. There has to be a PO in the IT org If there isn't, the product will languish under the weight of mounting technical debt and eventually die. The same often happens if there's no biz-side PO, but in those cases someone from the tech org usually adopts the product and just does their best, for better or for worse.