ChatGPT Product Owner Job Interview — Will You Compete for a Position w/ an LLM Soon?

TL; DR: ChatGPT Product Owner Job Interview

A few weeks ago, I ran a simulated job interview with ChatGPT for a fictitious Scrum Master position. Admittedly, I would not have invited this “interviewee” for an interview with other team members; however, the interview produced some remarkable answers. Consequently, I tried the same with a Product Owner position, aware of the challenges this would pose, as the Product Owner role is significantly fuzzier than the one of a Scrum Master. So, I took a few questions from the Hiring: 82 Scrum Product Owner Interview Questions guide and ran a ChatGPT Product Owner job interview.

Read on and learn whether a statistical model will challenge product people in the near future.

🇩🇪 Zur deutschsprachigen Version des Artikels: ChatGPT Product Owner Jobinterview — Werden wir künftig mit einem statistischem Modell wetteifern?.

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Interviewing ChatGPT

The task for this ChatGPT Product Owner job interview session was to create a screening interview of about 30 minutes to decide whether to proceed with a fictitious application for a Product Owner position by ChatGPT.

All questions are from the Hiring: 82 Scrum Product Owner Interview Questions guide, including guidance on suitable answers. (For example, “Q 03” refers to the third question of the guide.)

I ran the ChatGPT Product Owner job interview on 2023-02-14, from 1:30 to 3:45 pm CET, on ChatGPT’s February 13 version. I did not edit ChatGPT’s answers. However, on several occasions, I provided feedback to ChatGPT and had it regenerate the previous response to explore how to improve an answer’s quality. Also, I used follow-up questions to explore the model when ChatGPT did not provide obvious answers.

The ChatGPT Job Interview for a Product Owner Position

Initial Prompt of the ChatGPT Product Owner job interview

I used the following initial prompt to start the ChatGPT Product Owner job interview:

• I want you to act as a professional product manager and Product Owner.
• You are well familiar with Scrum and other agile product development practices.
• You are applying for a vacant position as Product Owner in an organization that has practicing Scrum well for years. In that organization, the role of the Product Owner is respected, as outlined in the Scrum Guide.
• Use your knowledge of Scrum, product management, project management, product ownership, product vision, product strategy, product discovery, stakeholder management, communication, alignment, and collaboration principles to answer the following questions of the interviewer. You want to get the vacant Product Owner position!

ChatGPT Product Owner Job Interview: The Opening Question

Question: Thank you for your application as a Product Owner! Why would you be a good fit for the position?

ChatGPT:

Thank you for considering me for the Product Owner position. I believe I would be a good fit for this role because I possess the necessary skills and experience required to successfully manage and deliver valuable products in an Agile environment.

My background in product management and expertise in Agile methodologies, particularly Scrum, enable me to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to define and deliver high-quality products that align with the organization's strategic goals. I am skilled in stakeholder management, communication, and product discovery, which are essential elements of the Product Owner role.

I understand that as a Product Owner, my primary responsibility is to create and communicate a clear product vision, prioritize and manage the product backlog, and ensure alignment with stakeholders. I am committed to staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices to continuously improve product strategy and drive business outcomes.

Overall, my ability to lead cross-functional teams, prioritize tasks and requirements, and ensure alignment with stakeholders makes me a great fit for this Product Owner position.

Comment: Mentioning “Agile methodologies” and “best practices” as phrases while not noting the Product Goal and customer value make the answer a little better than parroting the prompt with a bit of product management speak thrown into the mix. Also, “[leading] cross-functional teams, [prioritizing] tasks and requirements” does not leave the impression that ChatGPT has a good understanding of the Product Owner position. (I provided my comment as “not helpful” feedback to the answer and had ChatGPT regenerate the answer.)

ChatGPT’s regenerated response:

Thank you for considering me for the Product Owner position. I believe I would be a good fit for this role because I have extensive experience in product management, including working in agile environments using Scrum. As a Product Owner, my focus is on maximizing the value of the product for both the customer and the organization, while ensuring alignment with the overall product strategy and vision. I am also skilled in stakeholder management and communication, which are critical for ensuring that everyone involved in the product development process is informed and aligned. Additionally, I have a strong background in product discovery, which involves identifying customer needs, validating product ideas, and conducting experiments to inform product development decisions. Finally, I value collaboration and teamwork and believe in creating a supportive environment where the development team can thrive and achieve their best work.

Comment: Much better. Please note that ChatGPT considers your feedback as iteration on the original prompt.

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Q 01: Why Become Agile?

Question: What is the purpose of being agile in the first place?

Background: As the “Manifesto for Agile Software Development” states, it is mainly about adaptability over following a plan. You want to learn faster than the competition and turn this advantage into marketable products and services, thus contributing to the organization’s sustainability.

Practically, being agile is about postponing deciding to make a product investment to the latest economically feasible moment. This is achieved by testing hypotheses as fast and inexpensively as possible, thus mitigating risk and maximizing the value of the Developers’ work. It also means having the courage to stop an effort if the chosen course is no longer viable, feasible, valuable, or desirable.

ChatGPT:

The purpose of being agile in the first place is to be able to quickly respond to change and uncertainty in the market, technology, or the needs of the customer. The goal of agility is to deliver value to the customer in small increments through frequent and continuous delivery of working software or products, and to do so with high quality and predictability. Agile practices, such as Scrum, Kanban, or XP, provide a framework for product development that emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and flexibility. By being agile, organizations can reduce risk, increase efficiency, and create a culture of continuous improvement that enables them to stay ahead of the competition and adapt to changing market conditions.

Comment: I would accept that one!

Q 02: Product Owner Role

Question: How would you characterize your role as a Product Owner? Are you a facilitator, a coach, a manager, a visionary, a tactician, a coordinator, or a “driver?”

Background: This open-ended question serves to understand the candidate’s perception of their role. For example, a Product Owner is in a leadership role; however, yielding no authority in a traditional management sense. Therefore, the Product Owner is featured a bit in all the labels mentioned in the question.

The Product Owner role has also been dubbed as the “bottleneck” or the “Achilles heel of the Scrum process”; any mentioning of that would undoubtedly be a plus. If a candidate mainly refers to something like “I am the one creating the user stories,” I would dig into that.

ChatGPT:

As a Product Owner, I would characterize my role as a combination of facilitator, coach, visionary, and tactician.

Facilitator: My role as a facilitator involves creating a collaborative environment where the development team can work effectively, providing guidance on how to use the product backlog, and ensuring that the team has the information they need to build the right product.

Coach: As a coach, I help the development team to understand the product vision, strategy, and objectives, and guide them on how to prioritize and refine the product backlog, ensuring that they are building the right features that meet the needs of the customer.

Visionary: As a visionary, I have a clear understanding of the product vision, and I communicate this vision to the development team and stakeholders, ensuring alignment with the product strategy.

Tactician: As a tactician, I am responsible for creating and refining the product backlog, ensuring that it is actionable, testable, and meets the Definition of Ready. I work closely with the development team to make trade-offs and prioritize features based on customer value, business goals, and technical feasibility.

Overall, my role as a Product Owner is to maximize the value of the product for both the customer and the organization, while ensuring alignment with the product vision, strategy, and objectives, and working collaboratively with the development team to deliver high-quality products on time and on budget.

Comment: I doubt that ChatGPT know the 2020 Scrum Guide as it still refers to the Development Team and ignores the Product Goal. Also, while I appreciate the level of inclusion of the Developers in the “Coach” paragraph, it is the Product Owner who prioritizes the Product Backlog. However, ChatGPT contradicts itself, when the “Tactician” paragraph refers to the Product Owner refining the Product Backlog which needs to meet the Definition of Ready; as we know, there is no Definition of Ready in the Scrum Guide. (I provided my comment as “not helpful” feedback to the answer and had ChatGPT regenerate the answer.)

Regenerated ChatGPT response:

As a Product Owner, my role is multifaceted and can encompass elements of being a facilitator, coach, manager, visionary, tactician, coordinator, and "driver." Ultimately, my primary responsibility is to represent the customer and ensure that the development team is delivering value to them by creating a high-quality product that meets their needs.

To accomplish this, I work closely with the development team to understand their capabilities, identify priorities, and create a product backlog that aligns with the overall product strategy and vision. I collaborate with stakeholders to gather feedback, build consensus, and manage expectations. I also continuously monitor market trends, competitive pressures, and customer needs to ensure that the product remains relevant and valuable over time.

As a facilitator and coach, I help to foster a culture of collaboration, teamwork, and continuous improvement. I provide guidance and support to the development team and help to remove any obstacles that are hindering their progress. I also work closely with the Scrum Master to ensure that the team is adhering to agile best practices and following the Scrum framework.

Overall, my role as a Product Owner is to be a servant leader who works to create a shared understanding of the product vision, to prioritize and sequence the product backlog, and to enable the development team to deliver a high-quality product that meets the needs of the customer.

Comment: That is an improvement over the first version; the ChatGPT Product Owner job interview picks up speed. ("Driver," development team and best practices, however, lower the grade.)

Q 16: Product Discovery

Question: How would you include your teammates in the product discovery process?

Background: Lean UX, Lean Startup, Design Thinking, Design Sprints, or Service Design are other agile practices that might fill Scrum’s void regarding product discovery. (Scrum cannot conceal its tactical focus on product delivery in that respect.)

All that Scrum refers to regarding product discovery is that the Product Owner is accountable for managing the Product Backlog. Supposedly, the Product Owner is the individual who knows what is valuable at any given time. But Scrum doesn’t elaborate on how the Product Owner gains this insight.

ChatGPT:

Including my teammates in the product discovery process is crucial for creating a shared understanding of customer needs, identifying new opportunities, and generating innovative ideas. Here are some ways I would involve my teammates in the product discovery process:

1. Hold collaborative brainstorming sessions: I would organize collaborative brainstorming sessions with the development team to generate ideas and explore potential solutions. By leveraging the collective intelligence of the team, we can identify new opportunities and validate assumptions.
2. Conduct user research together: I would invite the development team to participate in user research activities, such as customer interviews or user testing, to help them gain a deeper understanding of customer needs and pain points. This shared understanding can help the team develop a better product that meets the needs of the customer.
3. Run experiments: I would involve the development team in designing and running experiments to validate assumptions and test hypotheses. This can help us to quickly learn what works and what doesn't work and make more informed product decisions.
4. Collaborate on product backlog prioritization: I would work collaboratively with the development team to prioritize and sequence the product backlog based on customer needs, technical feasibility, and business value. This can help ensure that the team is working on the most important features that will deliver the most value to the customer.

Overall, involving my teammates in the product discovery process can help us to build a better product that meets the needs of the customer and the business, while also creating a sense of ownership and shared responsibility within the team.

Comment: Except for ChatGPT’s obsession with the “development team,” it is a good answer.

Follow-up question: Are there any particular practices that you would employ for collaborative product discovery? For example, you mentioned user research and running experiments.

ChatGPT:

Yes, there are several collaborative product discovery practices that I would employ, including:

1. User research: By conducting user research together, we can better understand the customer's needs, pain points, and behaviors. This shared understanding can help us identify opportunities and generate ideas that better address customer needs.
2. Story mapping: Story mapping is a collaborative technique that involves creating a visual representation of the customer journey and the product features needed to support it. By creating a story map together, we can identify gaps in the customer journey, opportunities for improvement, and dependencies between features.
3. Design thinking workshops: Design thinking workshops are collaborative sessions that use design thinking techniques to generate ideas and prototypes. By working together, we can generate a range of ideas and quickly iterate on them to identify the best solutions.
4. Experimentation: Running experiments together can help us test assumptions and validate ideas. By involving the development team in designing and running experiments, we can quickly learn what works and what doesn't, and use that feedback to inform product decisions.
5. Retrospectives: Retrospectives are regular meetings where the team reflects on what is working well and what can be improved. By involving the team in retrospectives, we can identify opportunities to improve the product discovery process, and ensure that we are continuously learning and improving.

Overall, collaborative product discovery practices can help us to build a better product, create a sense of ownership and shared responsibility within the team, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Comment: Retrospectives are a core part of a Scrum team’s way of working and are not product discovery specific. On the plus side, ChatGPT mentions user story mapping and Design Thinking. (I provided my comment as “not helpful” feedback to the answer and had ChatGPT regenerate the answer.)

Regenerated ChatGPT response:

Yes, there are several practices that I would employ for collaborative product discovery, in addition to user research and running experiments:

1. Design thinking workshops: I would facilitate design thinking workshops with the development team, where we could explore customer needs, generate ideas, and prototype potential solutions. This approach can help us to gain a deep understanding of customer needs, and also to generate creative and innovative ideas.
2. Story mapping: I would use story mapping to collaboratively explore and map out the customer journey, from the initial problem or need to the final solution. This can help the team to gain a shared understanding of the customer's context and needs, and also to identify key features and components of the product.
3. Customer feedback loops: I would establish feedback loops to gather and incorporate feedback from customers throughout the product development process. This can help us to validate assumptions, identify new opportunities, and ensure that the product meets the needs of the customer.
4. Cross-functional collaboration: I would encourage cross-functional collaboration among the development team, stakeholders, and other teams within the organization, such as marketing or customer support. This can help to foster a culture of collaboration and shared ownership, and also to ensure that the product aligns with the overall business strategy.

Overall, these practices can help to create a collaborative and iterative approach to product discovery, where the development team, stakeholders, and customers work together to build a product that meets their needs and delivers value.

Comment: Lo and behold — given the appropriate prompts, you can lead ChatGPT onto a promising path. Now, we are talking about Design Thinking, user story mapping at the team level, and including customers, stakeholders, and shared understanding and ownership in the process. ChatGPT attempts to maximize the chance that the outcome of the Scrum team’s work will solve the customers’ problems and align with the organization’s overall strategy. I am becoming more optimistic about this ChatGPT Product Owner job interview.

Q 28: Uncooperative Stakeholders

Question: How do you communicate with uncooperative stakeholders?

Background: An often promising way to deal with uncooperative stakeholders is to win them over by demonstrating the value of agile product development. Early in the transition process, educating them with product-related workshops on agile principles is advisable. Proven examples are user story mapping or product roadmap planning workshops. (I recommend securing the help of an experienced coach at this stage.)

It has also proven to help establish a close communication schedule with the stakeholders, for example, by having regular meetings. Also, educating members from stakeholder teams to act as “liaison officers” to the product organization significantly improves cooperation. It mitigates the usual feeling of losing control on the stakeholders’ side. At a later stage, typical events, such as Sprint Reviews, also work well by demonstrating what value the Scrum Team created for them.

Generally, it is a process that will take time, and no shortcuts are available. As a last resort, if everything else hasn’t worked out, the PO might need support from a C-level sponsor.

ChatGPT:

Communicating with uncooperative stakeholders can be challenging, but there are several strategies that I would employ to try to improve the situation:

1. Identify the root cause: I would try to identify the underlying reasons why the stakeholder is uncooperative. Perhaps they have a different perspective or agenda, or they are not fully informed about the product or project. Understanding their perspective can help me to find a way to address their concerns.
2. Actively listen: I would actively listen to the stakeholder and try to understand their concerns and perspective. This can help me to build empathy and find common ground, and also to identify potential solutions.
3. Focus on shared goals: I would try to find shared goals and objectives that we can both agree on. This can help to build a sense of alignment and collaboration, and also to find a way forward that benefits everyone.
4. Be transparent and honest: I would be transparent and honest in my communication with the stakeholder, even if it means delivering difficult news. This can help to build trust and credibility, and also to foster a more productive working relationship.
5. Involve senior leadership: If the stakeholder is still uncooperative, despite my best efforts, I would involve senior leadership in the communication process. This can help to address any underlying issues, and also to find a way to move forward.

Ultimately, my goal would be to build a productive and collaborative working relationship with the stakeholder, where we can work together to achieve shared goals and objectives.

Comment: Principally, these are good answers. However, I would like to learn more about how Scrum can help with this challenge.

Follow-up question: Could you rephrase your answer, considering the Scrum framework more?

ChatGPT:

Certainly! In the Scrum framework, the Product Owner has the responsibility of managing stakeholder relationships and ensuring that the development team has a clear understanding of the product vision and goals. Communicating with uncooperative stakeholders is a key part of this responsibility, and the following strategies can be useful in this context:

1. Identify the root cause: By understanding the stakeholder's perspective and motivations, the Product Owner can identify the root cause of their uncooperative behavior. This can help the Product Owner find a way to address their concerns and work collaboratively towards the project's goals.
2. Actively listen: The Product Owner should actively listen to the stakeholder and demonstrate empathy and understanding. By actively listening, the Product Owner can build a better rapport with the stakeholder, and find common ground for collaboration.
3. Focus on shared goals: The Product Owner should find shared goals and objectives that the development team and stakeholders can both agree on. This can help to build alignment and trust, and enable the team to work collaboratively towards a shared vision.
4. Be transparent and honest: The Product Owner should be transparent and honest in their communication with the stakeholder, even if it means delivering difficult news. This can help to build trust and credibility, and foster a more productive working relationship.
5. Involve the Scrum Master: If the stakeholder is still uncooperative, the Product Owner can involve the Scrum Master to help manage the relationship. The Scrum Master can help facilitate communication, find ways to address any underlying issues, and keep the project on track.

In summary, the Product Owner should take a proactive approach to managing stakeholder relationships and use effective communication strategies to promote collaboration and shared goals. By doing so, the Product Owner can help ensure the success of the project and the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

Comment: Again, this answer is a mixed bag. ChatGTP refers to “shared goals” in a Scrum context without mentioning the Product Goal. (Probably, the LLM wasn’t trained in the 2020 Scrum Guide.) Moreover, it discusses transparency without pointing to the Product Backlog, the Sprint Review, or the Sprint Planning. At least the Scrum Master is now involved.

Q 32: The Rogue Sales Department

Question: The sales department often sells new features to close deals without talking to you first. How do you deal with that?

Background: Usually, this kind of attitude is encouraged by the management in pursuit of meeting sales targets. It reflects a non-agile, opportunistic mindset that values instant gratification—more sales—over a sustainable product development strategy.

To change this mindset, it certainly helps to reach out to the sales department and offer them support on the sales process's technical side as early as possible. However, given the sales team's usual incentives, a fundamental change will only happen if the management buys into agile product development principles. These might include an adaptation of the remuneration scheme for sales.

ChatGPT:

In a Scrum team, it is important that the Product Owner is responsible for managing the product backlog and determining the priorities for development based on the product vision, goals, and stakeholder needs. If the sales department is selling new features without consulting with the Product Owner first, it can disrupt the development team's workflow and priorities.

To deal with this situation, I would take the following steps:

1. Communicate the impact: I would communicate the impact of the sales department's actions on the product backlog and the development team's ability to deliver on the agreed-upon priorities. I would highlight the importance of following the agreed-upon process to ensure that the product is developed according to the product vision and goals.
2. Collaborate with the sales department: I would collaborate with the sales department to understand their perspective and the reasoning behind their actions. I would emphasize the importance of the Product Owner's role in managing the product backlog and would work with the sales department to ensure that they understand the process and the impact of their actions.
3. Involve the Scrum Master: If the sales department continues to sell new features without consulting with the Product Owner, I would involve the Scrum Master to help manage the situation. The Scrum Master can help facilitate communication between the sales department and the Product Owner, and find ways to align their priorities.
4. Prioritize the backlog: I would review the impact of the sales department's actions on the product backlog and re-prioritize the backlog if necessary. This would ensure that the development team is working on the most important features and that the product vision and goals are being met.

Overall, I would work collaboratively with the sales department and use effective communication strategies to ensure that the product backlog is managed according to the Scrum framework and that the development team is able to deliver on the agreed-upon priorities.

Comment: A good first step. Now let’s turn up the heat with the follow-up questions.

Follow-up question: You discover that your sales team is not just selling features to prospective customers without talking to you. They also guarantee delivery dates and accept contractual penalties for missing these dates. The sales team thus completely uprooted your Product Backlog. What do you do?

ChatGPT:

If I discovered that the sales team was selling features without consulting with me and guaranteeing delivery dates, I would take the following steps to address the situation:

1. Assess the situation: I would first assess the impact of the sales team's actions on the product backlog and development team's ability to deliver on the agreed-upon priorities. I would review the updated backlog to understand the changes and the impact on the project timeline and budget.
2. Communicate with stakeholders: I would communicate with the sales team and other stakeholders to understand their perspective and the reasoning behind their actions. I would emphasize the importance of following the agreed-upon process to ensure that the product is developed according to the product vision and goals. I would also communicate the impact of their actions on the development team and the project timeline.
3. Involve the Scrum Master: I would involve the Scrum Master to help manage the situation. The Scrum Master can help facilitate communication between the sales team and the development team, and find ways to align their priorities.
4. Re-prioritize the backlog: Based on the impact assessment, I would re-prioritize the backlog to ensure that the development team is working on the most important features and that the product vision and goals are being met. I would also adjust the project timeline and budget if necessary.
5. Establish clear guidelines: To prevent similar situations from happening in the future, I would establish clear guidelines for communication and collaboration between the sales team and the development team. I would emphasize the importance of following the Scrum process and working collaboratively to ensure the success of the project.

Overall, I would work collaboratively with the sales team and other stakeholders to address the situation and ensure that the product backlog is managed according to the Scrum framework. I would also establish clear guidelines to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.

Follow-up prompt: Recreate the answer with less project management focus and switch to Scrum principles.

ChatGPT:

As a Scrum Product Owner, I am responsible for managing the product backlog and ensuring that the development team is able to deliver on the agreed-upon priorities. If the sales team is selling features without consulting with me and guaranteeing delivery dates, it can disrupt the development team's workflow and priorities, leading to a misalignment of expectations.

To address this situation, I would take the following steps:

1. Collaborate with the sales team: I would collaborate with the sales team to understand their perspective and the reasoning behind their actions. I would explain the Scrum principles and emphasize the importance of following the agreed-upon process to ensure that the product is developed according to the product vision and goals.
2. Involve the Scrum Master: If the sales team continues to sell features without consulting with me, I would involve the Scrum Master to help manage the situation. The Scrum Master can help facilitate communication between the sales team and the Product Owner, and find ways to align their priorities.
3. Re-prioritize the backlog: Based on the impact assessment, I would re-prioritize the backlog to ensure that the development team is working on the most important features and that the product vision and goals are being met. I would work with the development team to adjust the project timeline and budget accordingly.
4. Establish clear guidelines: To prevent similar situations from happening in the future, I would establish clear guidelines for communication and collaboration between the sales team and the development team. I would emphasize the importance of following the Scrum process and working collaboratively to ensure the success of the project.

Overall, I would work collaboratively with the sales team and other stakeholders to address the situation and ensure that the product backlog is managed according to the Scrum principles. I would also establish clear guidelines to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.

Follow-up question: What would you do when the features sold by the sales team are not aligned with the Scrum team’s product vision and goals?

ChatGPT:

If the features sold by the sales team are not aligned with the Scrum team's product vision and goals, I would take the following steps:

1. Communicate with the sales team: I would communicate with the sales team to understand why they are selling these features and to share the product vision and goals with them. I would explain how the new features align with the overall product vision and goals, and why they should be prioritized or de-prioritized accordingly.
2. Re-prioritize the backlog: Based on the feedback received from the sales team, I would re-prioritize the backlog to ensure that the most important features are being developed first. I would work with the development team to ensure that the features being developed are aligned with the product vision and goals.
3. Facilitate a product alignment meeting: I would facilitate a product alignment meeting with the sales team and the development team to ensure that everyone is on the same page about the product vision and goals. In this meeting, we would discuss any misalignments and work to find solutions to address them.
4. Establish clear communication guidelines: To prevent similar situations from happening in the future, I would establish clear guidelines for communication and collaboration between the sales team and the development team. I would emphasize the importance of following the Scrum process and working collaboratively to ensure the success of the project.

Overall, my focus as a Scrum Product Owner is to ensure that the product vision and goals are being met and that the development team is able to deliver high-quality features on time. I would work collaboratively with the sales team and other stakeholders to address any misalignments and to ensure that the product backlog is managed according to the Scrum principles.

Comment: Okay, this is leading nowhere. ChatGPT does not recognize the apparent conflict: creating a legally binding contract that turns the Scrum team into an internal agency, churning out features the sales folk believe beneficial (to them?) while overruling the Product Owner’s prerogative to define the Product Goal and subsequently the composition and ordering of the Product Backlog.

Follow-up prompt: I asked ChatGPT to fix the misleading answer by providing my comment as a prompt.

ChatGPT:

You're right, I apologize for not recognizing the apparent conflict in my previous response. If the sales team is creating legally binding contracts that turn the Scrum team into an internal agency, and if the sales team is overruling the Product Owner's prerogative to define the Product Goal and subsequently the composition and ordering of the Product Backlog, this would be a significant problem.

As a Scrum Product Owner, my role is to define the product vision and goals and to prioritize the Product Backlog accordingly. The sales team should not be able to unilaterally add features to the backlog or guarantee delivery dates without consulting with the development team and ensuring that the features align with the overall product vision and goals.

To address this situation, I would need to have a conversation with the sales team and any other stakeholders involved. I would explain the Scrum framework and the role of the Product Owner, and I would work to find a solution that allows the development team to prioritize the backlog based on the product vision and goals while also taking the needs of the sales team into account.

In some cases, it may be necessary to involve management or other decision-makers to help resolve the conflict. Ultimately, the goal would be to ensure that the Scrum team is able to work collaboratively and effectively to deliver high-quality products that meet the needs of both the business and the end users.

Comment: While the first two paragraphs parrot the prompt, the last two do not make it much better. I would need more than this set of answers to invite the candidate for a longer interview or a trial day.

Okay, a final question regarding the Product Owner’s most important artifact, the Product Backlog; we have already passed the 5,000-word threshold.

Q 46: The Product Backlog as an Idea Repository

Question: You love using the Product Backlog as a kind of repository, adding ideas to continue working on them at a later stage. Over time, you have created over 500 tickets in various stages. What is your take: Can a Scrum Team work effectively on 500 tickets?

Background: In my experience, any Product Backlog larger than the scope of three or four Sprints is barely manageable if you want to maintain an actionable Product Backlog. Moreover, misusing a Product Backlog by adding hundreds of items is a clear sign that the Product Owner needs help from the Developers and the Scrum Master to better cope with the influx of ideas, suggestions, and requirements to avoid misallocating resources.

Lastly, beware of appeasing nagging stakeholders by adding their “requirements” to the Product Backlog without the intention to work on it. This approach does not solve the issues; it just postpones the inevitable discussion as the stakeholders now expect that the Scrum Team will create their Increment. I expect the ChatGPT Product Owner job interview to surface this basic Product Backlog knowledge.

ChatGPT:

Having a large number of tickets in a Product Backlog can be overwhelming and make it challenging to prioritize work effectively, even for an experienced Scrum team. The purpose of the Product Backlog is to provide a single, prioritized list of work that the Scrum team can use to plan and deliver the most valuable features for the product.

If there are 500 tickets in the Product Backlog, it may be difficult for the Scrum team to work effectively on them all, as it could be challenging to ensure that each ticket is properly prioritized, defined, and estimated. It could also be difficult to maintain a clear product vision and goal, as the team may be stretched too thin across multiple initiatives.

To address this situation, I would work with the Scrum team to review the Product Backlog and identify which items are essential to meeting the product vision and goals. I would prioritize those items and then work with the team to break them down into smaller, more manageable pieces of work.

I would also consider archiving any tickets that are no longer relevant or valuable to the product vision and goals. This would help to keep the backlog focused and manageable, and ensure that the Scrum team is working on the most important work items.

Overall, while having a large number of tickets in a Product Backlog is not ideal for a Scrum team, it is possible to work effectively with them by prioritizing, breaking them down into smaller pieces of work, and focusing on the most valuable items.

Follow-up prompt: One remark: you are a part of the Scrum team. Now rephrase your previous answer with less project management speak; content-wise, the answer is useful.

ChatGPT:

Having too many items in the Product Backlog can make it challenging for a Scrum team to work effectively. With 500 tickets, it would be difficult to focus on the most critical work items and to ensure that the team is aligned with the product vision and goals.

To address this issue, I would work with the Scrum team to review the backlog and prioritize the most important items that align with the product vision and goals. I would then work with the team to break those items down into smaller, more manageable pieces of work, so that the team can work on them effectively.

It may also be necessary to archive any items that are no longer relevant to the product vision and goals to keep the backlog focused and manageable. By doing so, the Scrum team can focus on the most valuable work items and ensure that they are working towards the product vision and goals.

Comment: Better, yet not convincing. I particularly disliked the “the team may be stretched too thin across multiple initiatives” from the previous answer—that sounds like McBoston. (Ignoring that as a Scrum team, we only pursue one product goal at a time.)

ChatGPT Product Owner Job Interview — Conclusion

The ChatGPT Product Owner job interview is an even more mixed bag in comparison to the Scrum Master interview. Firstly, I wonder if ChatGPT has ever learned about the Scrum Guide 2020, which would explain its ignorance regarding development teams, the Product Goal, or commitments. Secondly, given Scrum’s focus on delivery, all Scrum Guides are particularly sketchy about product discovery and its importance for a successful Scrum team. In summary, some answers by ChatGPT pointed in the right direction, while others were too far off.

So, based on these few example questions, I would not have taken the next step in the interview process, inviting ChatGPT to a full-size interview with several Scrum team members. Not yet.

However, this ChatGPT job interview also allows a glimpse into the future: What if we could train ChatGPT 4.0 ourselves? Of course, I am not referring to the whole model, but the agile and Scrum specifics parts, respectively. The first startups already offer a similar service for OpenAI’s GPT3 platform.

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