What is the difference between program manager and product owner?
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I am working in Deloitte USI. Due to office politcs, I am serving PIP right now. Initially I was putting more efforts thought tech lead and Manager will have some work ethics but they were trying to find loop holes and raising points on them, and even my coach is also from the same location, so she is also not putting my case fairly. Instead of wasting my energy fighting with them, now I've stopped putting more efforts from my end. My PIP end date is coming 8th July.
Product Owner is another name for Business analyst who talk to the client gather requirements and create EPIC / Requirements/ Feature in agile. And then converts these requirements into a Solutions. So far all PO I worked with were used to be developers and very few from QA background. Program Manager is different story .. more responsible for running entire program in the sense that program will contain multiple projects, scrums etc. In my experiences so far, PO are highly technical person with great farsightedness in terms of designing system and solutions. Whereas program manager have expertise in taking meetings, sending mails and doing something in MS Excel.
PO need not be technically strong.. being a developer will be an added advantage to them. And you rightly mentioned PO as a BA.
Product owner owns the product and program manager manages the program..
Product owner usually gives requirement.. he will be the business counterpart. Program manager is like PM. But role of program manager varies companies to companies...
Product Owner is a role defined from Agile terminology who owns the product by gathering the requirements from stakeholders. Program Manager is a role outside Agile and the responsibilities depend upon the organization he/she works for. Pm role overlaps the responsibilities of both PO and Project Manager.