This is my second post on the parallels of being a product owner and a sailor. It seems I am developing a theme. I'll try not to rely on this trope too frequently, but the connections here I could not pass up. As I started thinking about the end of the sailing season and everything needed to lay up a sailboat for the winter, I came to an intriguing realization: the journey of a product owner bears a striking resemblance to that of a sailing team manager. Both roles, it turns out, involve far more behind-the-scenes work than one might initially expect. Attention to the behind-the-scenes details make the successes seem easy.
The Iceberg of Ownership
Just as the visible part of an iceberg represents only a fraction of its total mass, the time spent actively on the water or developing a product is just the tip of the ownership iceberg. Much more time is spent in planning, training, and maintenance needed to achieve your goals. In this post, I will dive deeper into this analogy and explore the hidden similarities between these two seemingly disparate worlds.
The Visible Peak: Sailing and Development
These moments of achievement and fulfillment are truly the essence of why we dedicate ourselves to our work. The feeling of exhilaration and reward is what fuels our passion and drives us forward. However, it is important to recognize that these moments are just a small part of the bigger picture. The bulk of our time and effort is actually spent on the less glamorous aspects such as research, planning, and communication. These foundational elements are crucial for paving the way to success in any endeavor.
While it may be tempting to overlook the finer details in favor of more exciting tasks, it is often the attention to these seemingly trivial matters that can make all the difference in the end. Taking the time to meticulously mind the small details can lead to smoother processes and more favorable outcomes in the long run.
Success, whether as a Product Owner or a Sailor, shares commonalities in the importance of strategic direction, adaptability to changing circumstances, achieving goals, and the thrill of launching new features or products. The parallels between these roles are evident in the need for efficient reactions to environmental shifts and the pursuit of overall objectives.
For the Product Owner:
Presenting strategic direction to leadership
Being able to react efficiently to changes in the environment
Launching new features or products
Achieving overall corporate goals
For the Sailor:
Setting sail and enjoying time on the water
Being able to react efficiently to changes in the environment
Perfecting an on-time run to the starting line
Developing entirely new skills and experiences
Below the Surface Basics : Maintenance and Planning
In both scenarios, whether it's managing a product or a boat, the responsibilities can be all-encompassing, consuming a significant portion of the owner's time and energy. These tasks are not just mundane chores but are essential for ensuring the smooth operation and development of the product or vessel. Despite their critical nature, they often remain unseen by those on the outside.
For the Product Owner, the duties are multifaceted and demanding. Backlog grooming and prioritization involve meticulously organizing tasks and setting priorities to ensure efficient workflow. Stakeholder management and communication are crucial for maintaining relationships and gathering valuable feedback. Market research and competitor analysis are necessary to stay ahead in a competitive environment. Technical debt management requires strategic planning to address and resolve technical shortcomings. Resource allocation and team capacity planning are essential for optimizing productivity. Regulatory compliance and documentation are vital to ensure legal adherence and transparency.
On the other hand, for the sailor, the tasks are equally demanding but in a different context. Regular hull inspections and cleaning are necessary to prevent damage and maintain the vessel's integrity. Engine maintenance and winterization are critical for ensuring that the boat operates smoothly and safely. Rigging checks and replacements are essential to prevent accidents and ensure structural stability. Weather monitoring and route planning are crucial for safe navigation and avoiding hazardous conditions. Licensing and registration paperwork must be kept up to date to comply with regulations. Crew coordination and training are vital for a well-functioning team that can handle emergencies effectively.
Both Product Owners and Boat Owners face a myriad of responsibilities that require attention to detail, foresight, and dedication. While these tasks may go unnoticed by many, they are the backbone of successful product development and safe boating experiences.
Below the Surface Activities to Advance Performance: Training and Innovation
While the tasks of a Product Owner and a Boat Owner may seem vastly different, they share a common thread of dedication and attention to detail. Product Owners engage in a range of activities such as conducting Scrum Retrospectives to reflect on project progress, staying updated on new services and technologies to enhance their products, implementing AB Testing and Customer Surveys for valuable feedback, and evaluating product performance post-delivery to ensure continuous improvement.
In the same way, sailors prioritize conducting post-race performance evaluations to assess their vessel's performance, pinpoint opportunities for improvement, and plan for upcoming competitions. This practice echoes the thorough methodology of a Product Owner, underscoring the significance of introspection and fine-tuning for attaining success. Sailors consistently experiment with new equipment and methods to enhance their racing efficiency. Ultimately, a proficient sailing team consistently trains to instinctively adapt to evolving circumstances.
Both roles require a proactive mindset, a commitment to ongoing learning, and a keen eye for optimization. Despite the differences in industries, the dedication and effort invested in these behind-the-scenes tasks are instrumental in driving progress and achieving excellence.
On Success
In business, like in a sailing regatta, it is not necessary to always finish first to achieve success. The crucial factor is consistency. Often, regattas are won by consistently securing second or third place. Likewise, in product ownership, not every idea will be successful. AB testing tends to yield more unsuccessful tests than positive outcomes. Despite these failures, by effectively managing them and learning from the attempts, you can eventually surpass your competitors.
The Rewards of Diligent Ownership
Despite the disproportionate amount of time spent on maintenance and planning, both sailors and product owners find immense satisfaction in their roles. Why? Because we understand that meticulous preparation is what enables those perfect moments of sailing or successful product launches.
Lessons Learned:
Patience is key: Results don't come overnight in either domain.
Attention to detail matters: Small oversights can lead to big problems.
Flexibility is crucial: Weather and market conditions can change rapidly.
Teamwork makes it all work: Neither boats nor products run themselves.
Conclusion: Embracing the Full Journey
As product owners, we should take a cue from sailors and learn to appreciate the entire process of ownership. The planning sessions, the maintenance tasks, and the behind-the-scenes work are not just necessary evils—they're integral parts of the journey that make the destination all the more rewarding.
So the next time you find yourself deep in a backlog refinement session or poring over user feedback, remember: you're not just preparing for the next sprint. You're engaging in the essential art of ownership, much like a sailor meticulously preparing their vessel for the next great adventure on the high seas.
Note:
This post was initially written by https://www.perplexity.ai/ and then edited and personalized by me. I am testing the viability of different AI tools in helping to prepare some of the content for this site.
For this article, I found the initial output to be engaging in terms of the outline and the iceberg allusion. Beyond that, the format of the paragraphs and bulleted sections needed to be reversed as I didn't find the original design to make much sense. Additionally, as with previous articles, I felt the content was a little light and was in need of significant additional content, personalization, and another section on overall goals.