{"id":6767,"date":"2023-07-25T18:09:13","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T10:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slash.bravefactor.com\/?post_type=resources&#038;p=6767"},"modified":"2024-02-21T22:43:56","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T14:43:56","slug":"product-owner-vs-scrum-master-5-key-differences-and-explanations","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/product-owner-vs-scrum-master-5-key-differences-and-explanations\/","title":{"rendered":"Product owner vs scrum master &#8211; 5 key differences and explanations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Undoubtedly, the Product Owner (PO) and Scrum Master (SM) are the two important assets and elements behind successful <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/zenkit\/agile-methodology-an-overview-7c7e3b398c3d\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agile<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> software development. But there are still a lot of puzzling questions when it comes to comparing a Product Owner vs Scrum Master based on the similarities and differences of their roles.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, this article aims to help clear your mind on queries like what is Scrum Master and Product Owner. What factors make them alike? And most importantly, the 5 key differences between these two roles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product owner vs scrum master &#8211; meaning, role, requirements, and benefits<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This section will help you unearth the Product Owner Vs Scrum Master.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7960 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/01-product-owner-vs-scrum-master-1-385x256.png\" alt=\"Product Owner Vs Scrum Master\" width=\"385\" height=\"256\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is a scrum master?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Scrum Master is known to be a great coordinator in an Agile team. They are brilliant at managing information exchange among the members to ensure everyone follows the Scrum framework. Moreover, the Scrum Master facilitates the team to improve methods so they can achieve their planned objectives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Also Read<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/6-secrets-to-solve-multiple-scrum-teams\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 Agile Secrets to Solve Multiple Scrum Teams Working on the Same Product<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scrum master role and responsibilities<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wondering what does a Scrum Master does? Here are the essential Scrum Master roles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Team coaching<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scrum Masters make sure that all the team members understand scrum events and Agile principles. Plus, they ensure each member knows their responsibilities in the team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Helping product owners to gain work efficiency by applying agile methods<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Scrum Master is a person who supports the Product Owner in accomplishing their duties. So whether it&#8217;s about backlog creation, maintenance, sharing, prioritizing, or any other Product Owner\u2019s responsibility, the Scrum Master makes ways to ease the process by fulfilling their own duties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hurdle crusher<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the main duties of a Scrum Master is to determine all the impediments blocking the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbestechcouncil\/2023\/03\/01\/sprint-planning-tips-and-tricks-for-software-development-leaders\/?sh=7b762e6b3349\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sprint planning<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and then eliminate them. They work across the departments to remove blockers causing difficulty in project completion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Teaching scrum to the entire organization<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scrum is the front person who leads the whole company toward implementing the scrum framework. To do that, they advise, teach and train the members about scrum methodologies to ensure that none of the development efforts become lesser in intensity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Criteria to become a scrum master<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following are the guidelines on how to become a Scrum Master.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agile mindset<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leadership skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Problem-solving skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have a bachelor\u2019s degree<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scrum Master certifications<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 to 7 years of experience in project management<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowledge and understanding of Agile practices and principles<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advantages of working as a scrum master<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With possessing the role of a Scrum Master, your job comes with several benefits, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Professional advancement<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you work after completing your Scrum Master Agile certification, it elevates your understanding of Agile concepts and Scrum framework practically. The certificate you hold gives you more growth opportunities as you begin to implement scrum methodology on a live project.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, working as a Scrum Master helps you achieve a leadership position as you help scrum teams win shared goals. And ensure that the planned process is being executed correctly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Increased scrum knowledge<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a Scrum Master, you must have a strong grip on all kinds of scrum activities. This includes all major scrum activities like a scrum of scrum, sprint backlog, and burn-down charts.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you work as an SM, you become an expert in scrum frameworks over time, which ultimately help you enhance your team\u2019s productivity, mitigate misconceptions, and support scrum teams in achieving their tasks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Higher compensation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great responsibilities also come with higher perks. As per Scrum Alliance, the average annual salary of a Scrum Master is around $95,000. At the same time, a scrum team member earns up to $88,000 yearly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is a product owner?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product Owners foresee and bring products to life by ensuring the development teams work according to the planned tasks. Furthermore, they organize and monitor the product backlog to make sure all the tasks are prioritized in the right way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product owner roles and responsibilities<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Product Owner is often confused with Product Manager vs Project Manager. However, these two positions are different from Product Owner responsibilities. It is important to remember that a Product Owner is accountable for product vision and backlog. But there are more duties to fulfill, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintain product backlog<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring timely project completion<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Confirming that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/6-secrets-to-solve-multiple-scrum-teams\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">multiple scrum teams <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are working on all the planned iterations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharing product vision and making sure that the development team is building it correctly<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To help the development team build and design digital products according to the market trends<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communicating with different teams, such as development and scrum teams, to ensure they are achieving product goals<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Criteria to become a product owner<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although there are no formal academic degree requirements to become a PO, you must have excellent knowledge of the Agile framework. If you are a certified scrum Product Owner, it can be additional support to conquer this role because that will draw a fine line between being a Product Owner vs Product Manager.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, here are a few more requirements to become a Product Owner (PO).<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication skills and Agile skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowledge of scrum events and objects<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding the process of product development<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advantages of working as a product owner<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are three main reasons why you should work as a Product Owner in a reputable firm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Advanced leadership abilities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Product Owner is supposed to have excellent leadership qualities, which come with experience. Being a PO, you become in charge of a product and learn how to complete it successfully. In this entire process, you also master collaboration skills as you are in frequent communication with the development team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gain more knowledge for career boost<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After securing the role as a Product Owner, you can enroll in other certifications to grow your career, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certified Product Manager (CPM)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSM)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SAFe Product Owner\/Product Manager (POPM)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Increased income opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Scrum Alliance, a Product Owner with a single certification and less than 5 years of experience is expected to earn around $93,000 annually. Contrarily, a PO with multiple certifications and 5-7 years of experience can enjoy a yearly income of up to $103,000.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarities between a product owner vs scrum master<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&#8217;s explore the likeness between Product Owner vs Scrum Master responsibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">None of them is above the other in the hierarchy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both of them work with the software development team<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both roles are required to make a successful Agile team<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They both ensure that the team is following the scrum framework<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PO and SM are important players in Agile development and vital for an Agile delivery<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite having different duties, both of them need one another for successful project completion<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 key differences between product owner vs scrum master<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PO and SM are like backlog vs sprint or team vs product. Therefore, here are the 5 factors that make Product Owner vs Scrum Master two different roles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7961 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/02-product-owner-vs-scrum-master-1-385x198.png\" alt=\"Product Owner Vs Scrum Master\" width=\"385\" height=\"198\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 385px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 385\/198;\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A product owner ensures<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Correct software is being built through Agile ways<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Long-term development goals are achieved<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A scrum master ensures<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Successful day-to-day achievement of tasks<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The sprint is going as planned, and the team is performing as per the expectations<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Maintaining and promoting Agile methodology among the development team members, as well as the PO<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><i>Also Read<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/who-owns-quality-in-a-scrum-team\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who Owns Quality in a Scrum Team &#8211; Exposing the Truths with Facts<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similar to Project Manager vs Product Manager, the Product Owner vs Scrum Master are two different roles. An Agile Scrum Master focuses on attaining everyday goals, while a Product Owner focuses more on completing and delivering projects on time. Nevertheless, their joint <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/the-agile-leadership-trio-the-3-pillars-of-a-scrum-team\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agile leadership<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> creates successful and unbeaten digital products.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Slash, we have a team of skilled software engineers with, a cherry on top, experienced Scrum Masters and Product Owners. Our professionals follow the latest Agile development practices to ensure your product is built efficiently and on time. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/tech-squads\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to obtain a top-notch development team under the supervision of PO and SM.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FAQs &#8211; product owner vs scrum master<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Is a PO higher than a SM? <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both PO and SM are leaders in their own domain. None of them is higher since this is against the Agile principles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Should product owners be scrum masters?<\/strong> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Product Owner and Scrum Master require different skills and, therefore, are different roles to be managed by distinct people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the difference between a scrum master, product owner, and project manager? <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Scrum Master supports the Scrum process, and the Product Owner is liable for backlog and product vision. Whereas a Project Manager is responsible for the entire project, including planning, managing, and execution within the budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Is a scrum master higher than a project manager?<\/strong> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the roles of a Scrum Master and Project Manager are different, they are equal in the Agile hierarchy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11660,"parent":0,"template":"","resource-topic":[54],"resource-type":[43],"class_list":["post-6767","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource-topic-agile-development","resource-type-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/6767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resources"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-topic?post=6767"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=6767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}