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 to be both the Scrum Master and Product Owner
• How to make it work as both the Scrum Master and Product Owner
• Who are the Product Owners and Scrum Masters

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.

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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.

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?

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And if you want a brief comparison of the roles of Scrum Master and Product Owner, check out this video.

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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.

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