Can the Scrum Master and Product Owner be the same person?
3 Reasons every scrum team must have a product owner and scrum master.
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I actually got this question “wrong” on a practice test for my CSM course. Though I still think I was right (more on that in a minute), the technical Scrum answer is the same person can play both roles.
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. I would not recommend the same person being both a Scrum Master and Product Owner at the same time. I’m basing my answer on my personal experience of
- Being a Scrum Master
- Being a Product Owner
- Being a Scrum Master and Product Owner at the same time.
- Being a Scrum Master and part of the Development Team
- Being a Product Owner and part of the Development Team
I never hit the triple crown of all three roles at once, because who has time for that?
So the answers to, "Can the Scrum Master and Product Owner be the same person?" is "While it is possible, it is not recommended and to function well, every Scrum team must have a separate Product Owner and Scrum Master." To better understand why this is true, this article will cover:
Why it’s hard for the Scrum Master and Product Owner to be the same person.
Product Owner vs Scrum Master: 2 roles in tension.
The Scrum Master and Product Owner both play roles in the Scrum team. It's not "Product Owner vs Scrum Master." They are working toward the same end goal but often balance each other in navigating the tension of how to get to that goal.
The Product Owner focuses on delivering the most value as they ensure on-time delivery of critical features and meeting significant milestones. They work as part of the Scrum team to provide this value. You could say they are product-focused and team-mindful.
The Product Owner is product-focused and team-mindful... The Scrum Master is team-focused and product-mindful.
The Scrum Master focuses on the health and effectiveness of the team. They check to see if the work to be done matches the capacity or velocity of the team. The Scrum Master removes unclear requirements, interpersonal conflict, organizational obstacles, and dependencies on other teams. They know an effective team will produce the most value. You could say they are team-focused and product-mindful.
The Scrum Master protects the team’s health by balancing the product owner’s drive to complete the product with the team's long-term effectiveness.
The Scrum Master protects the team’s health by balancing the product owner’s drive to complete the product with the team's long-term effectiveness. They both want similar things but their focus is different. The tension allows them to balance each other. This tension is good unless the same person is playing both roles, and then they are in tension with themself.
You don’t want to be in tension with yourself
While it is certainly possible (I’ve done it), I don’t think it's a good situation for either the Scrum Master/Product Owner or the development team.
This dual role can confuse whether a thought is being shared or a decision is being made.
When one person plays both roles, they must maintain balance within themself on behalf of the team. This tension can create internal angst as they resolve the tension between delivery and the team.
Even if someone can represent and hold both perspectives in tension, they must be mindful of how they communicate with the development team. Are they sharing something from their product owner role or their scrum master role when they speak? This dual role can confuse whether a thought is being shared or a decision is being made.
Being both scrum master and product owner can decrease the team’s agency
The Product Owner focuses on developing the product. The scrum master focuses on the functioning of the team. When this same person plays both roles, they are trying to focus on both the people and the output.
They become the boss.
Scrum teams are designed to be self-organizing, meaning that the team decides together how to best get the work done. When one person holds both the Product Owner and Scrum Master role it’s easy for the development team to look to them for direction.
This is more likely with new teams who lack the experience of working together as a self-organizing team. Unfortunately, newly-formed teams are also a typical situation where you see someone trying to play both the role of the Scrum Master and Product Owner.
How to make it work as both the Scrum Master and Product Owner
Tell everyone which hat you’re wearing
Even though it’s not ideal, there might be times when someone might have to play both roles for a season. Making it work requires unambiguous communication about which role you’re playing at a given time.
When one person holds both the product owner and scrum master role it’s easy for the development team to look to them for direction.
When speaking, preface the statement with, “As the Product Owner…” or “From a Scrum Master point of view…” This extra clarity can be exhausting, but it helps both you and the team maintain clarity and balance between the two roles.
Start training a replacement
Ideally, you find someone to play one of the two roles full-time, but this often takes time. If you find yourself playing both the role of Scrum Master and Product Owner, look at your development team and see if someone on the team would be a good fit for either position.
Making it work requires unambiguous communication about which role you’re playing at a given time.
I’ve been a part of a development team while being a Scrum Master, and I’ve been a part of a development team while being a Product Owner. Both are better options. See this as an opportunity to cultivate new leaders within your team.
You can also see if a Scrum Master for another team could serve two teams. I’ve done this before and I think it’s a better fit than doing both Product Owner and Scrum Master at the same time.
Related Guides
More about Product Owners and Scrum Masters
I hope this post helped you see the complexities of playing these two important roles. Here are two personas that bring a little more personality to the two roles.
For a deeper dive into either role, check out these posts
Product Owner
- What is a product owner?
- What does the product owner do each day?
- Should I Get Certified as a Product Owner?
- CSM or CSPO?
Scrum Master
- What is a Scrum Master?
- What does the scrum master do each day?
- Should I Get Certified as a Scrum Master?
- PSM vs. CSM?
- CSM or CSPO?
And if you want a brief comparison of the roles of Scrum Master and Product Owner, check out this video.
What does it take to pass the PSM?
The Professional Scrum Master is a great first step to those learning to practice Scrum.
Our affordable self paced course will prepare you to pass the test with confidence.
Related Guides
Action Plan
To learn more about Scrum, check out my What is Scrum? A Guide for Everyday People to Learn Scrum. If you have more questions, please feel free to reach out on LinkedIn.
Still not sure about your next step with Scrum? I offer a couple of free coaching sessions each month. You can signup for a free 1-hour coaching session, and we can work together to identify a good next step for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Product owner
What is a product owner?
They serve as the inflection point between the development team and stakeholders. They set the vision for the product and prioritize all product-related work.
Learn more about the roles and responsibilities of a product owner. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
What does a product owner do each day?
They accomplish this goal through 5 habits:
- Stakeholder Relationships and Synthesis
- Backlog Refinement
- Road Mapping
- Sprint Vision and Goals
- Inspection
Learn more about what it looks like to be a product owner. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
Scrum master and product owner
Can the scrum master also be the product owner?
The two roles balance each other, thus placing you in tension with yourself. You you hold both roles, you must be mindful of how you communicate with the development team. Holding both positions can also impact how much agency the dev team feels they have.
Learn more about playing both roles of scrum master and product owner. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
How does the scrum master help the product owner?
They help remove obstacles such as unclear requirements, interpersonal conflict, organizational impediments, and dependencies on other teams.
Find out more about how the roles on a scrum team work together. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
How does the product owner help the scrum master?
The product owner works with the scrum master to look ahead to future sprints, evaluating significant milestones to ensure they deliver critical features on time. They also check to see if the work needed to get there matches the capacity or velocity of the team.
Find out more about how the roles on a scrum team work together. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
How is the product owner different from the scrum master?
The product owner products the product vision by balancing the needs of both the business and the customer. The scrum master protects the team’s health by balancing the product owner’s drive to complete the product with the team's long-term effectiveness.
Keep exploring the relationship between the product owner and the scrum master or you can look over the role of the product owner and the role of the scrum master.
Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
Are the scrum master and the product owner part of the scrum team?
The scrum team includes the following roles
- scrum master
- product owner
- development team
Either the scrum master or the product owner can also be part of the development team. However, it’s not recommended for the scrum master and product owner to be the same person.
Learn more about the roles and responsibilities of a scrum team. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
Product owner certifications
How to get certified as a product owner?
Scrum certifications are a great way to both grow and demonstrate your knowledge. The most common certifications for a product owner are:
- CSPO Certified Scrum Product Owner from Scrum Alliance.
- PSPO Professional Scrum Product Owner from Scrum.org.
The CSPO is more common than the PSPO but also more expensive. Both offer multiple levels of certification.
You are required to take a class by a certified instructor for the CSPO, which will cost you around $1,000. There is no test for the CSPO. Completing the class earns you the certification.
The PSPO recommends but doesn’t require a course. So you can take the self-study route and then take a cheaper test ($200). This level of affordability can make the scrum.org certifications a more attractive first step for people exploring scrum certifications.
Here is my experience with certifications as a path to growth.
Also be sure to check out the essential Scrum glossary.
Why become a Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)?
Like becoming a scrum master, the best way to grow as a product owner is through practice. The CSPO class is helpful as it provides several practical facilitation techniques.
I’ve seen it listed as a requirement for various product owner or product manager roles. It can be beneficial if all other things are equal, but I don’t think it’s a game-changer for landing a PO job.
Here is my experience with certifications as a path to growth.
Want to learn the essential Scrum terms.
Scrum master role
What is a scrum master?
The Scrum Master is a master of process and an empowerer of people as they focus on maximizing the impact of the development team. They support the team by removing obstacles and representing Scrum to the rest of the organization.
Learn more about the roles and responsibilities of a scrum master. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
Why is a scrum master called a servant leader?
A servant leader puts others’ needs first. The Scrum Master provides the team with guidance and direction (where and why, but not what and how). This approach allows the team to work with a healthy level of autonomy and agency and ensures they have the mastery and purpose needed to do their work.
Explore what it means to be a scrum master. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
Why is a scrum master important?
They act as a mirror helping the team see where they are and how things are going. The scrum master protects the team’s health by balancing the product owner’s drive to complete the product with the team's long-term effectiveness.
Learn more about the role of a scrum master. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
Can scrum masters work remotely?
A scrum master can definitely be remote, but with a caveat. This situation works best when the whole team is distributed. The scrum master's effectiveness will decrease if the rest of the group is co-located and they are the only remote member.
Explore what it means to be a scrum master. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
Can one person be the Scrum Master for multiple teams?
This combo is possible, depending on the experience of the teams and the frequency of obstacles you need to help remove. I’ve been the scrum master for two brand new scrum teams simultaneously. It was a bit more work at first because so much teaching was going on, though it eventually leveled out once the teams learned their new rhythm.
Learn more about what to do if you don’t have all the roles for a scrum team. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
Scrum master responsibilities
What does a scrum master do each day?
If you could look at their calendar, you would probably see things like
- The daily standup, maybe more than one.
- Meeting with other leaders to explain scrum.
Learn more about what it means to be a scrum master. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
How does a scrum master remove impediments?
The scrum master helps remove obstacles, such as
- The team does not have the tools or resources to do the necessary work.
- Functional managers are trying to assign extra responsibilities.
- Mix messages or a lack of clarity about a user story in the backlog.
- A lack of responsiveness from the Product Owner.
- Unrealistic expectations about how long the required work takes.
The Scrum Master advocates for the team's needs and works to resolve the obstacles so the team can focus on producing the highest value possible.
Learn more about how the scrum master removes obstacles. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
How does a scrum master coach the team?
The scrum master doesn’t tell the team what to do. Nor do they solve the problems assigned to the Scrum team. But they play a critical role in helping the team identify the problem and create solutions. A scrum master does this through facilitation and practices.
Find out how a scrum master is a coach. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
How does a scrum master motivate the team?
They act as a mirror helping the team see where they are and how things are going, and they cultivate a space for the team to adjust based on what they see.
They help the team remove obstacles such as unclear requirements, interpersonal conflict, organizational impediments, and dependencies on other teams. This support allows the team to work with a healthy level of autonomy and agency and ensures they have the mastery and purpose needed to do their work.
Learn more about the role of a scrum master. Then browse the most common terms in a Scrum glossary and learn what is Scrum.
Scrum master certifications
How to get certified as a scrum master?
The most common certifications for a scrum master are:
- CSM Certified Scrum Master from Scrum Alliance.
- PSM Professional Scrum Master from Scrum.org.
The CSM is more common than the PSM but also more expensive. Both offer multiple levels of certification.
You are required to take a class by a certified instructor for the CSM, which will cost you around $1,000. The CSM course includes the test cost and is comparable in difficulty with the PSM test.
The PSM recommends but doesn’t require a course. So you can take the self-study route and then take a cheaper test ($200). This level of affordability can make the scrum.org certifications a more attractive first step for people exploring scrum certifications.
Here is my experience with certifications as a path to growth.
Also be sure to check out the essential Scrum glossary.
Why become a Certified Scrum Master (CSM)?
The best way to learn to be a scrum master is through practice. However, earning a certificate can provide helpful instruction, and some companies list it as a requirement for scrum master roles.
If you're entering the world of scrum or trying to transfer your skills from one domain to another, having a certification like the CSM can help you get in the door.
Here is my experience with certifications as a path to growth.
Want to learn the essential Scrum terms.
How quickly can I become a scrum master?
Unlike the PMP (Project Management Professional), most scrum certifications don’t require experience. There are pros and cons, though. It makes earning the certifications easier but also makes them a little less valuable.
A typical CSM course will last between 3 and 5 days, depending on how much instruction is done each day. The PSM doesn’t require a course, so if you already have a solid understanding of scrum, you can just take the test today.
To really be a Scrum Master your'e going to need practice.
Here is my experience with certifications as a path to growth.
Also be sure to check out the essential Scrum glossary.
