Prior to joining Adroiti, Jens had accumulated 15 years of diverse experience in various roles related to product development, all with the aim of advancing digitalization within industries. This experience enabled him to seamlessly and effectively transition into his new role. Within this blog post, Jens shares his journey to becoming a Product Owner, highlighting his most significant insights and success strategies.

From Industry Digitalization to Healthcare Innovation

"Before joining Adroiti, I actually gained a lot of varied experience in digitalization for various Industries. In Industrial equipment, proven IT technologies are being used and enriched with features that would cater to specific Industrial needs. I started in Research, evaluating those potential new technologies, and moved on to Product Management, where I worked with multiple teams of developers in order to introduce Industrial Hardware and Software equipment to the market. I spent some time in the USA as a Business Developer; I also have experience in change and organizational transformations ", explains Jens.

At first glance, this trajectory might seem disconnected from the role of a Product Owner in an IT company. However, Jens holds a contrary view.

"To be honest, I don't feel like I'm doing something different today. The only difference is maybe the vertical, as I'm now building products for the healthcare sector. Still, as I started my career, I was intrigued by creating something new and leaving a meaningful impact behind. This was true back then, and it feels true today ".

Diverse Background Shaped Success

According to Jens, the decision to enter a completely new and unfamiliar place, abandoning your established comfort, is not so frightening if you take it as an opportunity to grow.

"Throughout my career, I made it a priority not to stay in one role for too long and get too comfortable but wanted to continue to grow. I was always looking for opportunities where I could use my existing experience but also have some areas of growth. That was the same with this current workplace. If you want to succeed as a Product Owner, the secret is simple - it's all about learning and being smarter tomorrow than you are today.
Earning the title of an exceptional Product Owner demands the cultivation of profound domain expertise. Currently, I am actively enhancing my domain knowledge. While this proficiency may not be an immediate requirement, it serves as a long-term aspiration that every Product Owner should strive to achieve excellence in.
Simultaneously, I find that my diverse background equips me with the necessary confidence to excel in my role—collaborating with and overseeing teams, delivering value, and nurturing an Agile mindset," says Jens.

The Power of Teamwork

Jens reveals that time has been the biggest challenge in his new role. Nevertheless, Jens’s success can be attributed to the unwavering support of his team.

"As usual, a new start can be overwhelming at times. In this case, there were new products and a few new tools, but at the same time, immediately user stories needed to be delivered to the team. I really appreciated the support I received from everyone I was working with, especially the customer and the Adroiti management team. That was helpful and a prerequisite for me to be successful.

Having traversed various organizational landscapes and experienced diverse corporate cultures, including spearheading an Agile transformation within a major corporation, I can honestly say that Adroiti provides an exceptional environment for personal and professional growth. The workplace culture resonates harmoniously, firmly rooted in an Agile mindset that is not only promoted from the top but is also genuinely embraced by each team. It's an ecosystem that feels crafted by developers for developers", Jens shares his experience.

Passion, Listening, and Unpredictability

Jens reveals that the ability to create new things the way you want them to be and working with people is the biggest motivation in a product owner job where no day looks like the other.

"My day-to-day work looks something like this: there are re-occurring ceremonies with the team that provide a framework: Daily stand-ups, sprint plannings, groomings, reviews with stakeholders, retrospectives. That consumes a good portion of the time. On top of it, there's a lot of effort going into additional alignment with stakeholders and the discovery of new epics and features for the product. Usually, there's also the responsibility to facilitate troubleshooting and bug fixing and manage expectation of users in case necessary.

For me, the most profound insights – both for the product's evolution and my personal growth – have been derived from direct interactions with customers. I've consistently unearthed the richest lessons by delving into their authentic challenges and discerning the solutions they seek. This role necessitates unwavering passion and active listening, which might not be the 9 to 5 job," Jens shares.

No one can be perfect, but a team can be!

Jens has some advice for those who want to become the best Product Owners.

• Build your domain knowledge.
• Just be yourself.
• Don't be scared to share your opinion or ask a question.
• Don't set yourself up with trying to be the best, but give your best in the product's best interest.
• Let others share their opinion and always be ready to make compromises.
• Use the feedback of the others: No one can be perfect, but a team can be!"

What is your recepie to achieve excellence in Product Owner role? Share your experience on Adroiti Linkedin!