Why is it important that there is only one Product Owner per product?

Question

Options

• AThe Scrum Master knows who will be his back-up whenever he is unavailable, it saves the
• BIt is clear who is accountable for the ultimate success of the product, the Development Team
• CIt isn't important as multiple Product Owners can easily share a single Product Backlog.

• A
  5% (1)
• B
  89% (17)
• C
  5% (1)

Explanation

Having a single Product Owner ensures clear, undivided accountability for the product's value and direction - one person owns the Product Backlog, makes prioritization decisions, and is ultimately responsible for whether the product succeeds or fails. Option A is wrong because it confuses the Product Owner role with the Scrum Master; the Scrum Master is a separate role, and backup coverage is not the reason for the single-owner rule. Option C is wrong because while multiple people could technically maintain a shared backlog, doing so creates conflicting priorities, unclear decision authority, and accountability gaps - the Scrum Guide explicitly prohibits it.

Memory tip: Think of the Product Owner like a CEO for the product - a company can't function with two CEOs giving conflicting orders. One owner = one vision = one clear person to hold accountable.

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