A Product Owner has very specific responsibilities that will take a large amount of their focus and skills. They should not be expected to be considered a viable substitute for testing, data analysis, project management, development, or help desk.
Any good Product Owner will naturally gain a network of amazing connections. This does not mean you should hire them for who they know any more than you should hire them for what they wear. A Product Owner is more than a list of contacts, they are a wealth of knowledge and skills.
A Product Owner is responsible to so many people, but more often than not, they treat a product owner as if he/she is supposed to be available all times of the day at a moment’s notice. Just because their tasks are not listed on the Scrum or Kanban board does not mean they are idle.
A Product Owner should know the overall status at all time. A great Product Owner is in tune and in frequent communication with their team. However, this does not make them responsible for micro-managing the team. Each person is responsible for his or her own tasks and the Scrum Master or Project Manager should be responsible for tracking and monitoring.
