The Professional Scrum Product Owner II (PSPO-II) certification is an advanced exam designed for experienced Product Owners. The exam requires a deeper understanding of Scrum and Product Ownership, beyond the basics covered in PSPO-I. You need to be skilled in managing the product and navigating complex scenarios, driving agile transformations, and creating alignment across the organization.
To efficiently prepare for this exam, we’ll combine two popular learning techniques:
- Pomodoro Technique: This involves working in short, focused intervals (usually 25 minutes), followed by short breaks. It promotes productivity and prevents burnout.
- Forgetting Curve: This psychological principle shows how we forget information over time. To counteract this, we will periodically review the material at increasing intervals (spaced repetition) to improve long-term retention.
Learning Plan Overview
- Study Duration: 8 Weeks
- Total Hours per Week: 15 hours
- Daily Study Hours: 2 hours on weekdays, 3 hours on weekends
- Breakdown of Learning Phases: 3 Phases (Foundation Phase, Intensive Phase, Review & Final Prep Phase)
Week 1: Introduction to Scrum and Agile Frameworks
Goal:
- Gain a strong understanding of the fundamental Scrum framework, including roles, events, artifacts, and the Product Owner’s responsibilities.
- Prepare for more advanced topics by mastering the basics of Scrum.
Tasks:
Day 1: Introduction to Scrum
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read the first 20 pages of the Scrum Guide. Focus on understanding the key components of Scrum: roles, events, and artifacts. Pay particular attention to the Product Owner’s role.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Take notes on what you’ve read. Highlight the roles and their responsibilities (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team). Write a brief description for each role in your own words to solidify understanding.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Draw a diagram of the Scrum framework, showing how roles interact in events. Add brief descriptions of each event (Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, etc.). Reflect on how the Product Owner interacts with the Scrum Team during each event.
Day 2: Understanding Scrum Artifacts
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read the Scrum Guide section on Scrum artifacts. Focus on the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment. Understand the purpose of each and how they interact within the Scrum process.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Create a detailed description of each artifact. Write at least 3-4 bullet points about the purpose, responsibilities, and interactions for each one.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Create a hypothetical Product Backlog for a new app. Add at least 10 user stories, ensuring that each story is clear, actionable, and tied to the overall product vision.
Day 3: Scrum Events
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read the Scrum Guide section on Scrum events. Focus on the event flow: Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective. Understand the purpose of each event.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Write down how the Product Owner interacts in each of the Scrum events. For example, in Sprint Planning, how does the Product Owner present backlog items? What is their role in Sprint Review?
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Create a timeline of a Sprint and map each event to this timeline. Write down the expected outcomes of each event, focusing on the Product Owner’s involvement.
Day 4: The Role of the Product Owner
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about the Product Owner’s responsibilities in the Scrum Guide. Understand the role’s key tasks: defining the product vision, managing the Product Backlog, and ensuring alignment with business goals.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Write a detailed list of the Product Owner’s responsibilities. Break down each responsibility and provide examples of how you would handle each as a Product Owner.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on the Product Owner’s relationship with stakeholders. Write down strategies on how to manage different stakeholder needs while keeping the product vision clear and focused.
Day 5: Review and Reflect
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review all notes and diagrams you’ve created so far. Ensure that you have a solid understanding of Scrum’s roles, events, and artifacts.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Practice applying Scrum principles to a real-world example. Create a report explaining how you, as a Product Owner, would approach a Scrum project from start to finish, describing your role in each event and with each artifact.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Take a mock quiz on Scrum concepts. Use available resources like the Scrum Guide or online quizzes to test your understanding.
Week 2: Product Owner’s Responsibilities and Stakeholder Management
Goal:
- Deepen your understanding of the Product Owner’s role in managing the Product Backlog and engaging with stakeholders.
- Learn techniques for effective communication and prioritization.
Tasks:
Day 1: Product Vision and Strategy
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about the importance of Product Vision in Scrum. Focus on how the Product Owner creates and communicates a clear, compelling vision that aligns with business goals.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Write a product vision statement for a hypothetical product. Ensure it is concise, inspiring, and aligned with business objectives.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on how a strong product vision can impact decision-making and prioritize the Product Backlog. Write a brief analysis on this relationship.
Day 2: Understanding Stakeholder Management
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about the stakeholder management role of the Product Owner. Understand the importance of managing expectations and aligning stakeholder goals.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Identify and categorize different types of stakeholders (e.g., internal, external, executive). Write strategies on how to effectively manage each group.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Create a stakeholder map for your hypothetical product, identifying key stakeholders and their interests.
Day 3: Product Backlog Management
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Study the process of Product Backlog refinement. Understand how to break down epics, features, and user stories into actionable backlog items.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Practice writing user stories. Use the INVEST criteria (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable) to create 5 user stories for a product.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Learn about backlog prioritization techniques (MoSCoW, WSJF). Start applying these methods to your Product Backlog.
Day 4: Communicating with the Scrum Team and Stakeholders
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about how the Product Owner communicates with the Scrum Team. Understand the importance of clear, transparent communication, especially during Sprint Planning and Backlog Refinement.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Write down communication strategies for interacting with different stakeholders (e.g., development team, executives, customers). Include methods for conveying product priorities, gathering feedback, and setting expectations.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Role-play a Product Owner-Stakeholder meeting. Outline an agenda, key talking points, and expected outcomes.
Day 5: Handling Stakeholder Conflicts and Expectations
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Study common stakeholder conflicts and ways to resolve them. Focus on prioritization challenges and managing conflicting needs.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Write a conflict resolution strategy for handling conflicting stakeholder priorities. Provide examples of how you would navigate such situations.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on the importance of balancing stakeholder needs while keeping the product vision clear. Write about how you would handle competing requests in a Scrum environment.
Day 6: Review and Practice
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review the concepts of Product Vision, Stakeholder Management, and Backlog Management from the week. Ensure you have a strong understanding of these areas.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Revisit your stakeholder map and Product Backlog. Make any improvements based on your learning throughout the week.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Apply everything you’ve learned to a real-world scenario. Pretend to be the Product Owner for a product and walk through a week of backlog refinement, stakeholder meetings, and vision communication.
Day 7: Test Your Knowledge
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Take a practice test covering Product Vision, Stakeholder Management, and Backlog Management. Review your answers and identify areas where you need improvement.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Reflect on the practice test results and identify gaps in your knowledge.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Write a personal reflection on what you learned during the week and how you can improve your approach to managing the Product Backlog and stakeholders.
Week 3: Product Backlog Prioritization and Agile Scaling
Goal:
- Master various prioritization techniques and understand the fundamentals of scaling agile frameworks like SAFe, LeSS, and Spotify.
- Learn how to prioritize features and manage complex product backlogs.
Tasks:
Day 1: Introduction to Prioritization Techniques
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about the MoSCoW Method (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have). Focus on how this method helps in setting priorities based on business and stakeholder needs.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Create a prioritized list of features for your hypothetical product using the MoSCoW method.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on how this method might work in a real-world scenario, where business goals and technical constraints clash.
Day 2: Understanding Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Study the WSJF prioritization technique. Understand how to calculate the relative value of backlog items by factoring in business value, time criticality, risk reduction, and effort.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Apply WSJF to a set of backlog items for your product. Calculate the priority for each item based on the given factors.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on how WSJF can help you make data-driven decisions when prioritizing backlog items.
Day 3: Value vs. Complexity Matrix
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Learn how to use the Value vs. Complexity Matrix for prioritization. Focus on categorizing items into High Value/Low Complexity, High Value/High Complexity, and so on.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Create a Value vs. Complexity Matrix for your product backlog. Categorize 10 backlog items and assign them to appropriate quadrants.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Analyze the matrix you’ve created. Prioritize items that fall into the High Value/Low Complexity quadrant.
Day 4: Scaling Agile - Introduction to SAFe
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). Focus on the basic structure and how SAFe helps organizations scale agile practices across multiple teams.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Learn about the role of the Product Owner within a SAFe framework. Understand how their responsibilities expand in a larger, more complex environment.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Write down the key differences between Scrum and SAFe in terms of roles, responsibilities, and events.
Day 5: Scaling Agile with LeSS and Spotify
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Study the LeSS (Large Scale Scrum) framework. Focus on how it uses Scrum principles to scale across multiple teams and how the Product Owner fits into this structure.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Learn about the Spotify Model for scaling agile. Focus on the concept of autonomous squads, tribes, and chapters and how the Product Owner interacts with these groups.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Compare and contrast the SAFe, LeSS, and Spotify models in terms of how they scale agile and the responsibilities of the Product Owner in each model.
Day 6: Review and Practice
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review the prioritization techniques you’ve learned (MoSCoW, WSJF, Value vs. Complexity Matrix). Ensure you understand when and why to use each method.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Revisit the scaling agile frameworks (SAFe, LeSS, and Spotify). Write down a brief summary of each framework and how it addresses the challenges of scaling agile practices.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Practice creating a Product Backlog for a new project using at least two prioritization techniques. Write down how you would apply each technique to different backlog items.
Day 7: Test Your Knowledge
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on prioritization techniques (MoSCoW, WSJF, Value vs. Complexity Matrix). Review your answers and identify areas where you need improvement.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on scaling agile frameworks (SAFe, LeSS, Spotify). Review the results and focus on weak areas.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Write a self-assessment reflecting on your understanding of Product Backlog prioritization and agile scaling. Identify areas for further improvement and plan how to address them.
Week 4: Stakeholder Management and Delivering Value
Goal:
- Develop strong stakeholder management skills, understanding how to effectively communicate and manage expectations with different stakeholders.
- Learn how to deliver value continuously while balancing business and customer needs.
Tasks:
Day 1: Introduction to Stakeholder Management
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about the importance of stakeholder management in the Scrum Guide and other resources. Understand who the key stakeholders are and how they impact the product.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Identify the key stakeholders for your product. Create a list of these stakeholders, categorizing them into internal and external groups.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Write down strategies for managing different types of stakeholders (e.g., executives, customers, team members). Think about how you would handle different demands and interests.
Day 2: Communication Strategies for Stakeholder Engagement
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Learn about effective communication techniques. Focus on the importance of transparency, regular updates, and using the right channels for different stakeholders.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Create a communication plan for stakeholders of your product. Write down the type of communication (e.g., email, meetings), frequency, and content for each group of stakeholders.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Role-play different stakeholder communication scenarios. For example, how would you address a stakeholder’s concerns about a delay in the project?
Day 3: Balancing Business and Customer Needs
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about balancing business needs and customer needs. Understand how the Product Owner needs to make tough decisions to balance these often competing priorities.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Create a priority matrix to evaluate product features or backlog items based on both business value and customer value. Rank these items accordingly.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on how you would handle a situation where a customer’s needs are in conflict with business priorities. What would be your approach as a Product Owner?
Day 4: Delivering Value Continuously
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Study the concept of continuous value delivery in agile. Focus on how the Product Owner can ensure that value is delivered at every stage of the development cycle.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Learn how to define and measure value delivery. Explore concepts like business value, customer satisfaction, and time-to-market.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Write a plan for how you would ensure continuous value delivery in a real-world project. Consider things like frequent releases, feedback loops, and incremental progress.
Day 5: Value Delivery and Continuous Improvement
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Explore the relationship between value delivery and continuous improvement. Understand how constant feedback and learning help to refine products and processes.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Read about the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and its relevance in agile environments. How can this framework help in improving product quality and value delivery?
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Identify ways you can implement continuous improvement in your product backlog. For example, how would you regularly refine or reassess the backlog to keep it aligned with evolving priorities?
Day 6: Review and Practice
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review all materials related to stakeholder management. Focus on the strategies you would use to engage different types of stakeholders and manage their expectations.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Revisit your priority matrix and assess how well you’ve balanced business and customer needs. Make any necessary adjustments.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Practice applying value delivery principles to a new product. Write a short plan on how you would ensure continuous delivery and improvement in your project.
Day 7: Test Your Knowledge
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on stakeholder management and communication. Focus on understanding how different communication strategies work for different stakeholder groups.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on balancing business and customer needs. Evaluate your understanding of prioritization and the trade-offs involved in product development.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on value delivery. Assess how well you understand the process of ensuring value is delivered in an agile environment.
Week 5: Agile Leadership and Cross-Team Collaboration
Goal:
- Develop agile leadership skills to effectively lead teams, facilitate collaboration, and support the Scrum Team’s needs.
- Learn how to facilitate cross-team collaboration, especially in large-scale agile environments.
Tasks:
Day 1: Introduction to Agile Leadership
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about the role of agile leadership in Scrum. Focus on how a Product Owner leads through influence, supports teams, and drives collaboration.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Reflect on your own leadership style. Write down examples of how you could apply agile leadership principles in your role as a Product Owner.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Review the Servant Leadership concept and its importance in agile environments. How does a Product Owner adopt a servant-leader mindset to empower the team?
Day 2: Leading Cross-Functional Teams
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about leading cross-functional teams. Understand how a Product Owner supports and collaborates with various team members from different disciplines (e.g., developers, designers, testers).
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Write down strategies for facilitating collaboration among cross-functional teams. What tools or techniques would you use to keep the team aligned and working together effectively?
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Role-play a scenario where you, as the Product Owner, need to facilitate collaboration between team members with differing opinions. How would you resolve conflicts and keep the team focused on delivering value?
Day 3: Managing Team Dynamics and Conflict Resolution
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about team dynamics and how they affect team performance in agile. Understand the stages of team development (forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning).
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Learn about conflict resolution techniques. Read about how the Product Owner can address conflicts, encourage healthy discussions, and maintain a positive team atmosphere.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on how you would manage conflicts in your team. Write down a step-by-step approach for resolving a potential conflict scenario between team members.
Day 4: Cross-Team Collaboration in Large-Scale Environments
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Learn about scaling agile and how to manage cross-team collaboration in larger organizations. Explore frameworks like SAFe, LeSS, and Spotify.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Understand how a Product Owner works with other Product Owners in a scaled agile environment. Write down the roles and responsibilities in large-scale agile projects.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Create a plan for facilitating cross-team collaboration in a scaled agile environment. Consider tools, meetings, and communication strategies to keep everyone aligned.
Day 5: Facilitating Effective Sprint Reviews and Retrospectives
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Study the Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective events. Understand the Product Owner’s role in facilitating these events and ensuring they add value to the team.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Write a checklist for Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective meetings. Include strategies for engaging stakeholders and ensuring actionable outcomes.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Plan a hypothetical Sprint Review and Retrospective for a project. How would you prepare and structure these events to ensure they are productive and focused on improvement?
Day 6: Review and Practice
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review all content related to agile leadership. Ensure you understand how to apply servant leadership, empower the team, and foster collaboration.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Revisit your strategies for managing cross-functional teams. Think about how you could apply these strategies in real-world projects.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Review conflict resolution techniques. Write down a potential scenario where you would need to apply these techniques and how you would approach it.
Day 7: Test Your Knowledge
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on agile leadership. Focus on the role of the Product Owner in leading teams, supporting collaboration, and driving agile transformation.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on cross-team collaboration. Evaluate your understanding of how to work with different teams, especially in large-scale environments.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on conflict resolution and facilitating effective reviews and retrospectives. Ensure you understand the Product Owner’s role in these events and how to ensure their success.
Week 6: Stakeholder Management and Value Delivery
Goal:
- Master techniques for managing stakeholders, aligning their needs with the product vision, and ensuring continuous value delivery.
- Focus on how to handle complex product situations and provide value through incremental delivery and constant feedback.
Tasks:
Day 1: Understanding Stakeholder Management
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about the importance of stakeholder management in Scrum. Understand the various types of stakeholders and their needs (customers, business leaders, development teams).
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Create a list of key stakeholders for a product you are working on. Write down their interests, expectations, and how you, as a Product Owner, would engage them.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on potential challenges when managing stakeholders. Write down strategies you would use to manage conflicting interests and ensure alignment with the product vision.
Day 2: Aligning Product Vision with Stakeholder Needs
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about aligning the product vision with stakeholder needs. Focus on how the Product Owner balances customer demands with business objectives.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Write a detailed product vision statement for a new product, ensuring it aligns with both stakeholder needs and business goals. Use real-world examples to back up your reasoning.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on how you would manage changes to the product vision over time. What strategies would you use to keep stakeholders aligned as the product evolves?
Day 3: Value Delivery and Continuous Improvement
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about value delivery and how a Product Owner ensures continuous improvement and business value through Scrum.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Create a value delivery plan for a product you are working on. Include key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure value delivered at each sprint.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Study how a Product Owner handles feedback loops. Write down how you would collect, analyze, and act on feedback during each sprint to ensure continuous improvement.
Day 4: Incremental Delivery and Prioritization Techniques
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about incremental delivery and the benefits of releasing smaller, manageable product increments regularly. Understand how this approach fosters faster feedback.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Learn about prioritization techniques like MoSCoW, WSJF, and Value vs. Complexity Matrix. Understand how these tools help the Product Owner make data-driven decisions.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Create a prioritized product backlog using one of the techniques you’ve learned. Include a mix of high-value and high-complexity items to demonstrate how you would prioritize them for a sprint.
Day 5: Managing Backlog Refinement
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Study Backlog Refinement. Understand the process of refining and grooming the backlog to ensure it remains relevant and actionable.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Reflect on how you, as a Product Owner, would refine the backlog during a sprint. Write down the criteria you would use to evaluate whether backlog items are ready for the next sprint.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Practice backlog grooming for a hypothetical product. Refine the product backlog by adding user stories, defining acceptance criteria, and prioritizing tasks.
Day 6: Review and Practice
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review all content related to stakeholder management. Ensure you understand the key strategies for engaging stakeholders, handling conflicts, and ensuring alignment with the product vision.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Revisit your value delivery plan. Ensure that you have a clear path to delivering continuous value with each sprint.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Revisit your product backlog. Make sure you understand how to prioritize items based on value and complexity and how to refine the backlog during sprints.
Day 7: Test Your Knowledge
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on stakeholder management. Focus on the various stakeholder types, their needs, and how to engage with them.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on value delivery and continuous improvement. Focus on how the Product Owner ensures value is delivered in each sprint.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on backlog management and refinement. Focus on how to manage the backlog, prioritize items, and prepare the backlog for each sprint.
Week 7: Scaling Agile and Product Ownership in Large Organizations
Goal:
- Understand how agile frameworks can be scaled to fit large organizations and complex product environments.
- Learn the role of the Product Owner in large-scale agile frameworks like SAFe, LeSS, and Spotify.
- Prepare to manage cross-functional teams and multi-team backlogs.
Tasks:
Day 1: Introduction to Scaling Agile
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about Scaling Agile and the challenges that arise when trying to implement agile in large organizations. Focus on frameworks like SAFe, LeSS, and Spotify.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Take notes on how each scaling framework differs and what makes them unique. Focus on the Product Owner’s role in each of these frameworks.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Compare the strengths and weaknesses of SAFe, LeSS, and Spotify. Write down a brief analysis of how you would choose one of these frameworks for a large organization based on its needs.
Day 2: SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Study SAFe and its core principles. Understand how it scales agile across large teams and organizations, and how the Product Owner fits into this framework.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Learn about Program Increment (PI) planning in SAFe. Write down the key activities and how Product Owners contribute to PI planning.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Create a scenario where you, as a Product Owner, are involved in a PI Planning session. Detail how you would prioritize features and collaborate with other stakeholders and teams.
Day 3: LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum)
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Study LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum) and its approach to scaling. Focus on the Product Owner’s role in a multi-team setting and how responsibilities are distributed across teams.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Reflect on how LeSS differs from SAFe. Write down key advantages and potential challenges when using LeSS for large-scale product development.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Create a case study for a LeSS implementation. Describe how you, as a Product Owner, would organize multiple teams and ensure that each team works on their part of the product backlog.
Day 4: Spotify Model for Agile Teams
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Read about the Spotify Model of agile scaling. Understand the concept of squads, tribes, guilds, and chapters, and how these structures support the agile framework.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Focus on how Product Owners interact within the Spotify model. Reflect on how you would handle ownership of a product across multiple squads.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Design a Spotify-style structure for a product team. Create a diagram showing the various squads, tribes, and guilds and how they contribute to the overall product development.
Day 5: Handling Cross-Functional Teams and Dependencies
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Learn how to manage cross-functional teams and the challenges they present in agile environments. Focus on how the Product Owner can mitigate these challenges.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Read about managing dependencies across multiple teams. Learn about the importance of coordinating between different teams working on related tasks or features.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Write a plan for managing dependencies in a multi-team agile environment. Detail how you would ensure that teams are aligned and that dependencies are addressed early.
Day 6: Review and Practice Scaling Concepts
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review all material on scaling agile frameworks (SAFe, LeSS, Spotify). Ensure you understand the core differences, and the role of the Product Owner in each framework.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Reflect on how scaling agile would impact your role as a Product Owner. Write down strategies for overcoming common challenges when scaling a product.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Practice applying scaling concepts to a hypothetical product. Design a scaled agile approach using one of the frameworks and outline how the Product Owner ensures alignment and smooth product delivery.
Day 7: Test Your Knowledge
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on SAFe. Focus on understanding the key principles of SAFe and how Product Owners contribute to PI planning and execution.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on LeSS. Focus on how product ownership is distributed across multiple teams and the challenges that come with this structure.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Take a practice test on the Spotify Model. Focus on how the Product Owner interacts with squads and tribes to ensure consistent product development.
Week 8: Final Review and Exam Preparation
Goal:
- Consolidate all the knowledge you’ve gained in the previous weeks.
- Focus on reviewing key concepts, refining weak areas, and preparing for the actual exam.
- Simulate real exam conditions with full-length practice tests to assess readiness.
Tasks:
Day 1: Comprehensive Review of Scrum Roles and Frameworks
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review all Scrum roles in-depth (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team). Focus on understanding how each role contributes to the Scrum framework and the responsibilities tied to each one.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Review the Scrum events (Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective) and the Product Owner’s interaction in each of them. Write a brief summary of how the Product Owner interacts in each event.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Review Scrum artifacts (Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment). Reflect on how each artifact interacts within the Scrum process and the Product Owner’s role in managing them.
Day 2: Review Product Owner Responsibilities and Stakeholder Management
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review the Product Owner’s responsibilities. Focus on defining the product vision, prioritizing the Product Backlog, and ensuring alignment with business goals.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Reflect on stakeholder management and how the Product Owner interacts with various stakeholders. Write a summary of strategies you would use to manage stakeholder expectations.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Review any weak points you’ve identified regarding stakeholder management and the Product Owner’s responsibilities. Focus on refining your understanding of complex stakeholder relationships.
Day 3: Deep Dive into Agile Scaling Frameworks (SAFe, LeSS, Spotify)
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review the key principles of SAFe. Focus on the Program Increment (PI) planning, the Product Owner’s role, and how cross-functional teams are coordinated in SAFe.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Review LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum). Reflect on the distributed Product Owner role across multiple teams and the coordination of large-scale product development.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Review the Spotify Model. Focus on how the Product Owner works across squads, tribes, and guilds, ensuring that the product development process remains aligned.
Day 4: Final Review of Backlog Management and Prioritization Techniques
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review Product Backlog Management: Refining, prioritizing, and grooming the backlog. Focus on the techniques you would use to prioritize backlog items effectively.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Review prioritization techniques such as MoSCoW, WSJF, and the Value vs. Complexity Matrix. Understand how to apply these techniques in different situations.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Reflect on the challenges of backlog management and how to overcome them. Create a strategy for managing large and complex backlogs across teams and scaling frameworks.
Day 5: Practice Full-Length Exam Simulation
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Take the first half of a full-length practice exam. Time yourself and simulate real exam conditions to test your knowledge and manage time effectively.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Review your answers to the first half of the practice exam. Focus on areas where you struggled and ensure you understand the correct answers.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Take the second half of the full-length practice exam. Again, simulate real exam conditions and pace yourself.
Day 6: Review Results and Focus on Weak Areas
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review your performance from the practice exam. Focus on the questions you answered incorrectly or found difficult.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Revisit the topics you struggled with. Review key concepts and refine your understanding. Focus on any frameworks or practices where you need improvement.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Take another short quiz to test your progress. Review any mistakes and ensure you fully understand the correct answers.
Day 7: Final Review and Relaxation
- Pomodoro Task 1 (25 minutes): Review notes and diagrams you’ve created throughout the study process. Ensure everything is clear and complete.
- Pomodoro Task 2 (25 minutes): Focus on relaxation techniques. Take time to unwind and ensure you’re in a calm and focused state before the exam.
- Pomodoro Task 3 (25 minutes): Conduct a final review of key points from the Scrum Guide and other materials. Go over anything that feels uncertain but avoid cramming. Take a deep breath and get ready to ace the exam!