Which option is NOT among the preferred stances for a Product Owner?

• A. The Visionary
• B. The Collaborator
• C. The Business Analyst
• D. The Decision Maker

Answer: (C)

The Product Owner should lead in a way that drives value through direction, collaboration, and decisive ownership. A visionary stance means clearly articulating the product’s purpose and long-term direction so everyone understands the goal and what success looks like. The collaborator stance emphasizes working closely with stakeholders, the development team, and customers to gather feedback, build shared understanding, and keep the product moving forward in the right direction. The decision maker stance gives the PO the authority to prioritize the backlog, make trade-offs, and decide when to release or adjust scope based on value and risk.

A Business Analyst, while useful as a supporting role for analysis and documenting requirements, is not a primary stance for the Product Owner. The PO must own the backlog and be the one to make value-driven decisions, prioritize work, and accept outcomes. Relying on a BA as the primary stance can blur accountability and slow decision-making, reducing the agility Scrum teams rely on. So the option that isn’t a preferred stance for a Product Owner is the Business Analyst.