Answering: “Who should know the most about the progress toward the Product Goal?” (PSM I)

The Product Owner should know the most about progress toward the Product Goal. The Developers know Sprint progress best, but the long-term product view sits with the Product Owner.

Exam Question

Who should know the most about the progress toward the Product Goal?
(choose the best answer)
A. The Product Owner.
B. The Developers.
C. The Scrum Master.
D. The Project Manager.

Correct Answer

A. The Product Owner.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

The Product Owner is accountable for effective Product Backlog management, which includes developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal. The Product Backlog holds the work needed to reach that goal, and the Product Owner orders it. That puts the Product Owner in the best position to judge how much remains and whether the goal is getting closer. The Sprint Review is where this progress is discussed with stakeholders. The Scrum Guide notes that various practices exist to forecast progress, like burn-downs, burn-ups or cumulative flows, but they do not replace the importance of empiricism.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

B. The Developers. The Developers track progress toward the Sprint Goal. The Product Goal spans many Sprints and belongs to the Product Owner’s accountability.

C. The Scrum Master. The Scrum Master helps make progress transparent but is not accountable for the Product Goal.

D. The Project Manager. Scrum has no Project Manager accountability.

Exam Tip

Pair each goal with its owner: Product Goal with the Product Owner, Sprint Goal progress with the Developers. Many questions differ only in which goal they mention.

Key Takeaways

• The Product Owner develops and communicates the Product Goal.
• Product Goal progress is discussed at the Sprint Review.
• Forecasting tools support, but do not replace, empiricism.