Bart Versteegen
Senior Product Leader, PST @ Scrum.org, Lean trainer with LCS
Delft, The Netherlands
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Bart has over a decade of experience in Agile Product Management, with roots deep in product roles. He has been responsible for several products and services, covering multi-million budgets, and a transformation partner for multiple organizations. He's a senior consultant at the Prowareness Academy. Currently delivering Scrum.org and LCS trainings, tailormade Product Management workshops or consulting clients in their organizational design.
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Shared success: delegating Product Management responsibilities to your team
Imagine being the captain of a ship trying to navigate stormy waters. You’re steering the wheel, plotting the course, and adjusting the sails simultaneously. Eventually, you realize—it’s impossible to manage everything alone. This is the reality for many Product Managers today: trying to maintain complete control while their team is ready to step up and share the load.
Many Product Managers hesitate to delegate, fearing a loss of control or alignment. But by sharing ownership, you empower your team and create a stronger, more resilient product. Delegating responsibilities doesn’t mean stepping back; it means stepping forward together.
When Product Managers avoid delegation, organizations face:
• Bottlenecks that slow down decision-making.
• Teams that feel disempowered and disengaged.
• Missed opportunities to leverage the full potential of the team’s expertise.
How can we delegate product management responsibilities effectively while maintaining alignment and fostering ownership across the team?
After my session, you will learn:
1. How to identify which Product Management responsibilities can be delegated and to whom.
2. Practical strategies to share ownership without losing focus on product vision and strategy.
3. Why empowering your team leads to better decisions, higher engagement, and shared success—and how to make it happen in your organization.
The Rule of Sparrow - why managing products is the same as having Jack Sparrow on a ship
The Rule of Sparrow - why managing products is the same as having Jack Sparrow on a ship
Do you see multiple Jack Sparrows on a ship? No. Why? The world can’t handle multiple talented but also very stubborn people running the same boat. So why are multiple people responsible for the same boat, called a ‘product,’ in organizations? We currently see that a product’s lifecycle responsibilities are divided between a Product Owner and a Product Manager. The Product Owner is responsible for the operational and tactical level (if he or she is lucky), while the Product Manager becomes responsible for Profit & Loss, Discovery and Validation, and pricing strategies, for example.
After my session, you’ll have answers on why or how:
⁃ You want one captain on a ship, responsible for the entire direction of the ship and everything that’s happening aboard
⁃ How it’s possible to still have a hierarchy within organizations that is applicable between multiple levels of product management
⁃ You have a better understanding of what your product is and even if it’s a product that you’re managing or that it might be something ‘else.’
⁃ You can stop doing projects in iterations by misusing Scrum (something we call Scrumfall) and start focusing on product- instead of projectmanagement
From projects to products: Unlocking the power of Value Stream Mapping
Imagine finding an ancient treasure map. You can only discover the treasure if you understand the clues on the map. But what if the map must be completed or filled with unclear paths? This is how many organizations operate: without insight into their entire value stream, they get lost in projects with no clear end goal.
Many organizations work project-based, unaware of how their efforts genuinely deliver value. Value Stream Mapping provides a “treasure map” to more efficient processes and a product-focused approach.
When working project-based, the focus is on temporary deliverables rather than continuous value creation. This leads to:
• A lack of ownership.
• Fragmented teams working in silos.
• Inefficient hand-offs and waste in processes.
How can we map and optimize the entire value chain to enable continuous value delivery to our customers?
After my session, you will learn:
1. How to design a value stream using Value Stream Mapping.
2. How this activity helps you transition from project management to product management.
3. Why does this approach lead to a sustainable competitive advantage, and how can it be practically implemented in your organization?
The power of stories: inspiring teams using storytelling practices
Imagine being part of a Scrum Team. The CEO just left your Sprint Review and left the team somewhat flustered. He used his management speak again to share some blabla about the company strategy, to 'motivate' them, and to congratulate them on their fine work. However, the connection between what the team is working on and where the company is moving towards is hard to find. They're all looking at you for help.
As a Product Owner, your role is more than just managing backlogs or writing user stories. It's to ignite the passion and drive in your team by connecting them to the bigger picture. Storytelling is your most powerful tool for inspiring, aligning, and engaging those around you.
Without storytelling you'll likely see some of the following in your teams work:
• A lack of connection to the product vision.
• Difficulty in understanding the "why" behind their work.
• Reduced motivation and alignment across stakeholders.
How can we, as Product Owners, use the power of storytelling to turn abstract goals into shared goals and inspire everyone to move forward as a team?
After my session, you will learn:
1. How to craft compelling stories that connect your team to the product vision and strategy.
2. The key elements of storytelling that create clarity, emotional resonance, and alignment.
3. Practical techniques to use storytelling in sprint planning, stakeholder meetings, and beyond to inspire and lead with impact.
Great Product Owners are not just planners—they're storytellers who spark action. Let's explore how to tell the stories that make a difference.
Bart Versteegen
Senior Product Leader, PST @ Scrum.org, Lean trainer with LCS
Delft, The Netherlands
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