New roles of Analytics — The Data Product Owner & Analytics Translator
Two new roles have emerged in the world of data in the past few years, roles that are providing a softer touch in a world of technical data. These roles are aimed to fill a clear gap in a function where juniors are plenty and senior few and bring product and project leadership in a world constrained by the lack of analytical leadership talent.
Data-Science Product Owner
The role was created by companies like Booking.com, heavily involved in Agile, and employing over 200 data-scientists. Nowadays, the role can be found in companies hiring only a couple of data scientists.
Ignoring the ill-fit that data-science has with Agile (where the Product Owner title comes from), there are preconditions and drawbacks to having data-science specific product owners.
Overall the company and team need to have a certain technical orientation and composition, critical size, and focus on making efficient use of a data product owner.
Technical Orientation: In a similar vein that some companies have TPMs, Technical product managers, to cope with the degree of technicality of the role, data-science product owners should have a technical background. Preferably this should be within the field of data-sciences. Booking.com notably…
