The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. They are also accountable for effective Product Backlog management, which includes ordering the Product Backlog items to best achieve goals and missions1. The Product Owner should consider various sources of information to make informed decisions about the product, such as customer feedback, market trends, stakeholder input, and data analysis2.
When deciding whether to drop the price of the product, the Product Owner should consider the following sources of information:
* Customer satisfaction: The Product Owner should measure and monitor how satisfied the customers are with the product, and how likely they are to recommend it to others. Customer satisfaction is a key indicator of product value and quality, and it can also influence customer retention and loyalty. The Product Owner should use various methods to collect customer feedback, such as surveys, interviews, reviews, ratings, and net promoter score23.
* Market share: The Product Owner should track and compare the product's market share with its competitors and potential customers. Market share is the percentage of the total market that is captured by the product, and it reflects the product's popularity and demand. The Product Owner should use market research, sales data, and industry reports to analyze the market share and identify opportunities and threats24.
* Unmet customer needs: The Product Owner should identify and prioritize the customer needs that are not yet met by the product or its competitors. Unmet customer needs are the gaps or problems that the customers face, and that the product can solve or address. The Product Owner should use techniques such as user stories, personas, value proposition canvas, and jobs to be done to discover and validate the unmet customer needs25.
* Competitor pricing: The Product Owner should benchmark and compare the product's pricing with its competitors and alternatives. Competitor pricing is the amount of money that the customers have to pay to acquire or use a similar or substitute product. The Product Owner should use competitive analysis, price elasticity, and value-based pricing to determine the optimal pricing strategy for the product2 .
The other option, company earnings targets, is not a relevant source of information for the Product Owner, as it does not reflect the value or the demand of the product. The Product Owner should focus on delivering value to the customers and the stakeholders, rather than meeting arbitrary financial goals. The company earnings targets may also change over time, and they may not align with the product vision or the market reality2 . References: 1: Scrum Guide 2: Managing Products with Agility 3: Customer Feedback 4: Market Share 5: Unmet Customer Needs : [Competitor Pricing] : [Company Earnings Targets]