In Poland, we don’t have an easy relationship with talking about our successes. From childhood, we’re told not to stand out, not to brag, and to just “do our job” (at least that’s how it was when I was growing up). Then we enter the workplace and realize that unless you show what you’re doing and how valuable it is, chances are nobody will notice.
For Product Owners (PO), the saying “Do good work and people will notice” rarely applies. Good work alone isn’t enough – you also need to know how to talk about it. What’s more, the role itself is inherently high-profile and requires strong engagement and visibility.
By definition, the Product Owner role is dynamic. A PO is not just a person standing between business and technology but someone who should inspire, explain product intricacies, and be the “face” of product development. But in the daily rush of meetings, backlogs, and sprints, it’s easy to fade into the background. So how can a PO increase their visibility without becoming artificial?
Here are some proven methods.
1. Planned communication
The way a Product Owner communicates matters tremendously (this goes for other roles too). The key is to be proactive. How?
- Regular product updates: Don’t wait for sprint demos. Short, concise weekly updates (via Slack, email, or a Loom video) raise awareness about what’s happening – and who’s behind it.
- “Morning coffee bites”: Share interesting insights, like increases in conversion, sales, or user onboarding numbers. Ideally in the morning – a good PO starts the day by checking KPIs/OKRs.
- Preemptive information: If something drops or a metric is declining, inform stakeholders early and offer a proposed plan. This shows the PO is in control of their product.
Also, tailor your language to your audience – the communication style should reflect the stakeholder group. You’ll talk differently to the executive team than to sales. A great PO adapts to the context and shows they understand each group’s needs.
A PO who communicates proactively is always one step ahead – both in celebrating success and managing risk.
2. Product Owner as Product Evangelist
You’re not just the owner of the backlog. You are the face of the product – the person who knows why something is being done and where the team is headed.
- Speak at company events: internal town halls, demo days, Q&As, or onboarding sessions. These are perfect opportunities to present yourself as a product-thinking leader.
- Create internal educational materials: infographics, presentations, FAQs – things that make the product understandable even for non-tech teams.
- Tell memorable stories: avoid generic tech phrases like “we released a new feature.” Focus on impact, like “we helped users save 20% of their time with this new feature.” Use storytelling principles (but don’t overdo it). I recommend the book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath.
A Product Owner isn’t just a backlog guardian. They’re a storyteller who passionately and clearly explains the product’s purpose and the change it brings. They don’t hide behind tickets but connect with people, inspire, and build bridges between tech and the rest of the company. They educate, present, and explain in a way that makes the product speak human language.
If the PO doesn’t tell their product’s story, someone else might and the story may not be the one they’d prefer. Don’t believe it? Here’s an example:
A PO at a SaaS company released a feature that automated reporting. The product team knew it saved users 4 hours per week, but they didn’t clearly communicate it. As a result, the sales team pitched it as “a new report view,” which downplayed its value and led clients to see it as a useless cosmetic update.
If the PO had shaped the narrative and emphasized the real impact (“we save time and automate repetitive tasks”)…
3. Product Owner builds stakeholder relationships
Having stakeholders in your contact list isn’t enough. You need to build and maintain relationships. That means:
- Being proactive: Don’t wait for people to reach out. Take initiative – set up meetings, share ideas, ask about needs.
- Collect feedback regularly: Not just once per quarter. Quick check-ins every 2–3 weeks keep you “on the radar.”
- Join strategic conversations, ask “why,” and show you think beyond the tasks at hand.
A great PO doesn’t just collect names – they cultivate relationships. They don’t wait for a knock, they open doors, ask “what do you need?”, and return with specific ideas. Frequent conversations, strategic questions, and genuine interest turn them into a partner, not just a task executor. Stakeholder trust is built between sprints, not on demo day.
4. PO collaborates with other teams (and lets them know that exists
A PO can bridge gaps between technology, marketing, sales, and customer service:
- Organizes “Product Deep Dive” sessions for non-product teams. PO shows them what is being built and how it can help them.
- Joins cross-functional initiatives: marketing campaigns, sales process improvements. It shows you’re stepping out of your comfort zone.
- Celebrates team success: tag team members, thank them, highlight their contributions. People remember those who recognize others.
Visibility is not ego. It’s the result of collaboration. It’s not about self-promotion, but about healthy, transparent communication within the team. Visibility means sharing progress, decisions, problems, and plans so others can understand the context, offer help, give feedback, or simply know where things stand.
5. PO is active on company channels (Slack, Teams, etc.)
- Shares product insights, market inspiration, and links to interesting articles – anything that adds value.
- Engages in conversations, helps out, responds even when not tagged.
- Creates and manages a product dedicated channel. It’s a great way to build community around a product.
Digital presence is the modern equivalent of chatting over coffee in the kitchen. Building a product culture isn’t just about roadmaps and backlogs – it’s about being present in daily conversations, sharing inspiration, and creating space for discussion. If you want people to think about the product more than once per sprint – give them a reason to.
6. PO invests in development and shares it
Visibility isn’t only for extroverts. It also stems from expertise and knowledge-sharing.
- Learns and shares – read a great report? Attend a conference? Write a summary, share notes, create a mini-presentation.
- Shows his/her growth – not in a showy way, but as an inspiration. Encourage others to share knowledge too.
Visibility doesn’t mean being the loudest in the room. Sometimes, it’s about being the most helpful. Sharing insights, takeaways from events, or clear report summaries shows that you think, learn, and act as a team player. That’s how you build expertise.
7. Ask for feedback and act on it
Sometimes the best way to be more visible is simply to ask:
- “In what areas could my role better support the team?”
- “Are there situations where my presence or input is missing?”
A few simple questions open the door for honest feedback. It helps you grow and builds trust by showing you genuinely care about collaboration. Openness to feedback is one of the strongest signals of maturity and engagement you can send to your team.
Summary
The Product Owner role is full of potential impact – as long as you cultivate visibility, relationships, and communication. Visibility is neither vanity nor noise – it’s the outcome of intentional action, knowledge sharing, and active presence in the organization. A PO who builds bridges instead of walls becomes more than an operational cog – they become a leader who inspires, explains, and leads the team and stakeholders toward a common goal.
Being visible and being present in the company are two very different things.