Should the Product Owner talk to customers?

• A. False, they should not talk to customers
• B. Only at Sprint Review
• C. True, and generally the more the better
• D. Only if stakeholders allow

Answer: (C)

Engaging with customers is essential for the Product Owner because their role is to maximize value by understanding real user needs and turning those insights into a well-prioritized backlog. Direct conversations with customers provide the concrete feedback, validation, and clarification that shape what to build next and how to define acceptance criteria. A steady stream of customer input creates a continuous learning loop, helping the team avoid building features that don’t deliver value and ensuring the product evolves in line with what users actually want. The Sprint Review is important for stakeholder input, but relying on it alone slows learning; proactive dialogue with customers keeps the backlog aligned with reality every sprint. While you balance time and capacity, the approach should be to engage customers as much as possible to maximize value, not wait for permission or limit interactions.