When Velocity Replaces Outcomes—The Product Owner Trap

Podcast: Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast
Host: Vasco Duarte
Guest: Cristina Cranga
Date: January 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Vasco Duarte welcomes Cristina Cranga to discuss an all-too-common Product Owner anti-pattern: focusing on output (velocity, features shipped) over outcomes (value and meaningful change). Together, they unpack how this obsession undermines team effectiveness, how great Product Owners go beyond this trap, and why deep conversation and partnership—between the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and team—are critical for real agility.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Output Obsession Anti-pattern

• Cristina identifies "output obsession" as the worst Product Owner anti-pattern:

  • Product Owners (POs) and teams focus on how much is delivered, not on whether meaningful change occurs.
  • Success gets measured by "velocity replaces outcomes." ([01:51])
  • Teams get faster, but not smarter or more effective.

  "Success is measured by how much is delivered, not what changes, what really changes... Velocity replaces outcomes. Teams get faster, but not smarter. Faster is not equal to smarter."
  — Cristina Cranga ([01:51])

How It Shows Up Practically

• Teams strive for higher velocity, believing it's synonymous with success.
• Alignment and real impact are lost.
• Decisions become unclear ("decision hallucination"), uncertainty is avoided rather than embraced.

2. The Role of the Product Owner: From Output to Leadership

• Cristina emphasizes that strong Product Owners:

  • Own their decisions, making them explicit for the team.
  • Foster faster alignment and avoid ambiguous decision-making.
  • Treat uncertainty as an inherent part of the job, not an obstacle.
  • Build engaged teams more willing to experiment and learn.
  • Connect the work to actual value rather than just features shipped.

  "They connect work to value in a nutshell. And that's what brings, in my opinion, success. It makes a great PO—a PO is an important role because between PO and Scrum Master, it's a special bond."
  — Cristina Cranga ([02:29])

• She underscores the importance of leadership and partnership between PO and Scrum Master, likening it to a "Batman and Robin" duo (Vasco’s analogy; [05:05]), where mutual support is not optional but essential.

3. What Makes a Great Product Owner?

• Cristina’s best PO example:

  • A people person and a leader above all else.
  • Engaged deeply in human skills: facilitating conversation, presence with stakeholders and team.
  • Approaches work by clarifying the problem before jumping to solutions.
  • Comfortable saying "I don't know" and genuinely seeking team input.
  • Encourages a bi-directional, trust-based exchange with the team.

  "He started with clarifying the problem first and then decide, which I appreciated very much... He actually separated request from decision and made at the time the trade-offs explicit... Comfortable by saying, ‘I don't know yet what we should do. What do you think?’"
  — Cristina Cranga ([06:17])

4. The Power of Conversation in Agile Teams

• Cristina and Vasco discuss "conversation" as more than just communication:

  • It’s about asking more, saying less—gathering perspectives, listening deeply, enabling better decisions.
  • Decision-making becomes a co-created process involving the entire team.

  "Ask more, say less. When you ask questions, you collect information that will help you to have a decision-making process closer to a validated solution. You are listening, you are engaging, and you are producing a decision, a result, a feedback based on data collected from people around you."
  — Cristina Cranga ([08:44])

• Organizational and strategic conversations:
  Vasco references philosopher Esko Kilpi, highlighting that "conversation" happens at multiple levels and in many directions across an organization. Product Owners synthesize these "fuzzy, unclear, multidirectional... conversations" ([10:15]) to guide product direction.

• Cristina agrees:
  PO’s work is to facilitate shared decision-making and value creation, not just to dictate solutions.

  "It's a shared responsibility. It's not just on PO shoulders to have the right solution at the right time for the right target. It's a co-creation decision."
  — Cristina Cranga ([11:43])

5. Nonviolent Communication for Product Owners

• Cristina recommends Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg as a framework for improving conversation and decision-making.

  • The four components: Observation, Feelings, Needs, Request.

  • Helps Product Owners and teams connect at a human level, facilitating more effective and empathetic dialogue.

    "The conversational process has four components...observation, feelings, needs, and request. And it makes you think—communication is all of them, all four components."
    — Cristina Cranga ([13:19])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cristina on output obsession:
  "Velocity replaces outcomes. Teams get faster, but not smarter." ([01:51])
• On decision-making:
  "They make decision explicit and the results are coming. You have a faster alignment, no decision hallucination..." ([02:29])
• On partnership:
  "Between PO and Scrum Master, it's a special bond. It's like a strong leadership and it's a strong partnership." ([02:29])
• On team engagement:
  "The best PO was a people person and a leader... He was comfortable by saying, 'I don't know yet what we should do. What do you think?'" ([06:17])
• On conversations:
  "Ask more, say less. When you ask questions, you collect information..." ([08:44])
• On teamwork and co-creation:
  "It’s a shared responsibility... It's a co-creation decision." ([11:43])
• On Nonviolent Communication:
  "The conversational process has four components... observation, feelings, needs, and request." ([13:19])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – 01:11: [Intro, ad – skipped]
• 01:11 – 02:25: Cristina introduces output obsession as the biggest PO anti-pattern.
• 02:25 – 05:05: Discussion on how output obsession manifests, the importance of decision clarity, and the PO/Scrum Master partnership.
• 05:05 – 06:17: The importance of partnership ("Batman and Robin" analogy) between PO and Scrum Master.
• 06:17 – 08:20: Cristina describes the best Product Owner she has worked with: human focus, problem-first, bi-directional conversations.
• 08:20 – 09:36: Cristina defines "conversation" and its role in agile teamwork.
• 09:36 – 11:43: Vasco and Cristina discuss conversation at organizational and strategic levels; the PO's role in synthesizing these conversations.
• 11:43 – 13:19: The importance of co-creation in solutions and shared responsibility with the team.
• 13:19 – 14:21: Cristina recommends Nonviolent Communication and outlines its core components.
• 14:21 – end: Wrap-up, contact info, gratitude (Cristina suggests reaching out on LinkedIn).

Further Reading & Resources

• Book Recommendation:
  Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg

• Relevant Philosopher Mentioned:
  Esko Kilpi – Known for work on the role of "conversation" in organizations.

• Cristina's Contact:
  Connect with Cristina Cranga on LinkedIn.

Summary

This episode challenges Product Owners and Scrum Masters to focus less on "how much" and more on "what difference"—to shift from output obsession to delivering real outcomes. Cristina Cranga makes a compelling case for leadership through empathy, meaningful conversation, and facilitating co-creation. By prioritizing partnership, decision clarity, and deep listening, Product Owners can help teams create lasting value, not just higher velocity.