Managing Amazing Products Training

[Includes Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO^®) Option]

Product managers are the driving force behind successful products – they turn ideas into reality while keeping both users happy and businesses growing. They deeply understand customer needs and market opportunities to build solutions that matter. They work closely with diverse teams – from engineers and designers to marketers and salespeople – to create something truly valuable. Product managers dive deep into customer needs, engage with stakeholders, prioritize what gets built when, and ultimately take responsibility for the product’s success in the market.

In today’s fast-paced tech world, practically every product manager works in an Agile way, whether they use that term or not. In Scrum, one of the most popular Agile frameworks, this role is formally called the Product Owner – but the core responsibilities remain the same. It’s all about being flexible, gathering continuous feedback, and quickly adapting to change. This approach has become so fundamental to modern product management that you’d be hard-pressed to find any successful product manager who doesn’t embrace these principles, regardless of whether they’re officially using Scrum or not.

Specifically, the Product Manager:

Leads with clarity by effectively communicating and championing the product vision. This ensures everyone – from developers to stakeholders – understands not just what they’re building. but why it matters and how it serves users and the business.
Makes decisive prioritization choices, creating a single, ordered list of work items. Unlike traditional approaches where multiple priorities compete, the Product Manager maintains a clear hierarchy: 1, 2, 3, and so on. This eliminates confusion and helps teams focus on what truly matters most.
Maintains complete transparency around the product backlog and its items, ensuring everyone involved has access to and understands the upcoming work, its priority, and its purpose. This open approach builds trust and alignment across the organization.
Deeply engages with customers and users through regular interviews, feedback sessions, and data analysis to ensure the product solves real problems and meets actual needs.
Demonstrates value delivery by connecting product development efforts directly to customer needs and examples. They ensure what’s being built aligns with real problems customers have shared, and can show how new features and improvements address specific user challenges and business opportunities.
Balances competing needs across different stakeholders – from technical constraints and business requirements to user desires and market opportunities.

What sets successful Product Managers apart is their commitment to actually delivering on these responsibilities, not just acknowledging them. They understand that teams can’t effectively deliver value without transparent work processes, clear prioritization decisions, and a well-articulated vision. This isn’t just theory – it’s a practical approach that enables teams to work efficiently and stay engaged while building products that matter.

Throughout the course, you can engage in practical, reality-based work with small groups. Explore what the product owner is accountable for in the scrum framework, learn new ways to engage customers to understand what they truly need, and create and refine product backlog items. You will have the opportunity to dig into the tough questions about project vs. product thinking to create dialogue in your organization about the problem of too much work in process.

This course is designed for anyone who

Want to understand how successful product managers operate in the real world – balancing stakeholder needs, customer demands, and team capabilities while staying focused on delivering value.
Feel caught between traditional business expectations and modern product development approaches – and need practical ways to bridge this gap.
Are looking for proven tools and techniques to help their teams prioritize effectively, make better decisions, and deliver more impactful products.
Want to build products that matter by learning how to truly understand customer needs, validate ideas quickly, and lead teams with clarity and purpose.
Are eager to grow their product management skills and build a toolkit that works in today’s fast-paced, constantly changing business environment.
Enjoys learning, challenging themselves, and has an interest in finding ways to improve.

Learning Objectives

Examine where typical product owner (product manager) roles align with the Scrum Framework and Agile
Compare the types of business decisions you and your organization make and decide if those are sufficient
Illustrate how risks and assumptions are handled in product managers; summarize how agile adds value and the types of value
Review common reasons why visions and product goals are not motivating and discuss characteristics that make up good visions
Compare types of stakeholders and contrast stakeholder analysis approaches
Learn how customer segmentation is often done wrong and a better approach to understanding customer needs
Analyze a case study for stakeholders jobs, pains and gains, and review the impact in your work
Learn the key attributes of a product backlog and analyze a bad product backlog and find errors
Explore the differences between products and projects and how they impact risk

Uncover the simplicity and challenge of handling multiple products in one backlog with one or more teams
Take an in-depth look at backlog refinement and what it means to have backlog items ready for sprint planning
Illustrate the typical problems with ‘epics’ and why they don’t typically add any value; then learn about a better option to help slice epics
Analyze a project request for valuable features, then create detailed assessments and a feature backlog
Break down features into stories and compile a list of user stories
Slice user stories into smaller parts, using multiple refinement approaches; explain what a vertical slice is and its value
Learn exactly what the definition of done should be, why it is challenging, and understand the pros and cons of multiple definitions of done
Learn why a product backlog is almost never sufficient and how roadmaps, release maps, and Product Boards present much more clarity and content for teams, product owners (product managers), and stakeholders — and how to create one

Who Should Attend

This course should be attended by anyone who wants to understand what the product owner role is and how the product owner does their job.

Product Owners, Product Managers, Business Analysts, QA Testers
Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters
Scrum team members, agile team members
Managers, directors, and others tasked with helping teams succeed with scrum and agile (very hard to do if you do not understand it)
Anyone outside of software or IT: Our product owner training covers topics and examples that are applicable to those outside of software. We also offer training specifically geared to product management and product ownership outside of software. Ask us about this version of the course when you contact us.

Certification Option

We realize that certifications can be essential, so we offer a certification option with this course (if you would like it). Please recognize that this course includes a two-day class as well as additional time after the two days to help you implement ideas, learn new topics, and troubleshoot issues you experience. These items go beyond the learning objectives of the certification.

If you are interested in the certification, we offer the Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO®) Certification. This class is one of the requirements for receiving the CSPO certification. There is no additional cost or fee if you want to be submitted for the certification option, to qualify, you must:

Complete the class prework.
Attend and engage in the entire CSPO class.
There is not a CSPO exam at this time. Until the exam is released, only #1 and #2 above are required to receive the CSPO Certification.

What to Expect

We deliver engaging, practical training that respects your investment of time and money. Our approach focuses on real learning that you can apply immediately:

Learning Experience

Interactive brain-friendly sessions that blend theory with hands-on practice
Small group work focused on your real-world challenges
Zero PowerPoint – instead, expect dynamic, discussion-based learning
A supportive environment where you can safely explore new ideas
Brain-friendly techniques that enhance retention and understanding

Practical Focus

Opportunities to work through your actual organizational challenges
Collaborative problem-solving with peers facing similar situations
Tools and techniques you can implement immediately
Active discussion and knowledge sharing with experienced instructors

This isn’t a passive lecture – it’s an engaging workshop where you’ll learn by doing, share experiences with peers, and walk away with practical solutions to your product management challenges.

Virtual Training:

We’ve reimagined virtual training to be just as engaging and effective as in-person learning:

Interactive Learning Environment

Live instructor-led sessions using collaborative tools and learning canvases
Small group exercises and discussions that solve real business challenges
Dynamic, discussion-based learning (no slides or pre-recorded videos)
Hands-on activities designed specifically for virtual engagement

Physical + Digital Resources

Every participant receives a comprehensive, full-color workbook and materials delivered to their location (available for customers in North America and many other locations)
Interactive digital workspaces with practical templates and frameworks you can apply immediately.

Our Commitment to You

Try before you decide – experience a live lesson demo to see if our interactive teaching style works for you. If it’s not the right fit, we’ll gladly recommend alternative training options that better match your needs
While we also offer on-site training, our virtual format has proven highly effective for distributed teams

Details

Length & Level

Base Course Length: 2-Days + pre-work
Level: Introductory to Intermediate (ask about more in-depth versions)
Post-course Sessions (Up to 8 hours of post-course consulting, training, coaching, and insights)

Course Credit

16 PMI PDUs
16 Scrum Alliance SEUs
Up to 8 additional credits based on post-course sessions
CSPO Certification (see Certification Requirements)

Prerequisites

An interest in learning new ideas and discovering better ways of working
Openness to sharing experiences and engaging with peers
Willingness to participate in group discussions and try new approaches
For the CSPO Certification, see Certification Requirements

Next Steps

Contact us to set up a time to answer your questions or to see a sample of how our virtual training works! Or feel free to download a PDF of the Course Brochure to review or share with someone.