PSPO Changed PSPO-II Questions

Unrealized Value is the value that could be realized by meeting all potential needs of the customer or user1. It represents the opportunity for growth and innovation. When the Unrealized Value of a product is very small, it means that the product has reached a saturation point in the market, and there is little room for improvement or differentiation. Investing more in such a product would not yield much return, and might even cannibalize the Current Value of the product, which is the value delivered to the customer or user today1. Therefore, organizations should reduce their investment in a product when its Unrealized Value is very small, and focus on other products or opportunities that have higher Unrealized Value

According to the Professional Scrum Product Owner™ II certification guide1, the Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. This means that the Product Owner should collaborate with the Developers and the Scrum Master to find the best way to deliver value in the current Sprint, even if the initial forecast is not met. The Product Owner should not change or abandon the Sprint Goal, as it is a commitment made by the Scrum Team during Sprint Planning. The Product Owner should also not skip Product Backlog refinement activities, as they are essential for preparing the Product Backlog for future Sprints. The Product Owner should not end the Sprint prematurely, as it may cause more disruption and waste than delivering a potentially releasable Increment. The Product Owner should not inform management that more resources are needed, as it may imply that the Scrum Team is not self-organizing and cross-functional. The Product Owner should respect the Developers’ autonomy and professionalism and support them in finding the best solution to the problem. Therefore, the best answer is to reduce the scope of the Sprint, if possible, to still meet the Sprint Goal. This means that the Product Owner and the Developers should negotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog within the Sprint, removing or adding Product Backlog items that are aligned with the Sprint Goal and the value delivery. References: 1: Professional Scrum Product Owner™ II Certification | Scrum.org

A, B, C, and D are correct because they are all measures of the value that a product delivers to the customers and the organization1. Revenue per Employee indicates the efficiency and productivity of the product development2. Market Share shows the competitive advantage and customer satisfaction of the product3. The average selling price as compared to close competitors reflects the perceived value and quality of the product4. Product profitability measures the financial return and viability of the product5. E is incorrect because the weekly velocity of the Developers is not a measure of value, but a measure of output and capacity. Velocity does not indicate whether the product is meeting the needs and expectations of the customers and the stakeholders.

 A “cone of uncertainty” is a graphical representation of the evolution of the amount of uncertainty during a project. It shows that at the beginning of a project, there is a high degree of variability and unpredictability in the estimates of the scope, cost, time, and value of the product. As the project progresses, more information and feedback are gathered, and the uncertainty decreases, reaching zero when the product is delivered and validated. A “cone of uncertainty” can be used to visualize the uncertainty of the potential value that a Scrum Team delivers over time, and to guide the empirical process of inspection and adaptation. By using a “cone of uncertainty”, a Scrum Team can:

• Align the expectations of the stakeholders and customers with the reality of the complex and dynamic environment.
• Avoid making premature or unrealistic commitments based on inaccurate or incomplete estimates.
• Embrace change and experimentation as opportunities to learn and deliver more value.
• Inspect the actual value delivered and the feedback received, and adapt the product vision, strategy, and backlog accordingly.
• Forecast the range of possible outcomes and the level of confidence for each Sprint and release.

The other options are not valid uses of a “cone of uncertainty”. A “cone of uncertainty” does not represent the relative level of difficulty for predicting the velocity of individual team members, as velocity is a measure of the amount of work done by the whole Scrum Team, not by individuals. A “cone of uncertainty” does not rapidly identify and prioritize all uncertainties, as uncertainties are not always known or quantifiable, and may change over time. A “cone of uncertainty” does not determine whether to cut quality, similar to the “Iron Triangle” of project management, as quality is not a variable that can be traded off in Scrum, but a non-negotiable aspect of the Definition of Done and the value proposition of the product.

References:

• Professional Scrum Product Owner™ II Certification
• Managing Products with Agility
• Cone of Uncertainty - Wikipedia