Ownership is about clarity. About a sense of direction, where the product should reach in a near short term. The direction must also provide a sequence of how the user grows in expertise along with the feature set.
Ownership is not about dictatorship. It is not an opportunity to push things without objectivity or empathy. It’s about listening and then carefully screening the alternatives.
Ownership is about saying no to the things that are not congruent with direction. It’s about taking a stance. And gently explaining the chain of thoughts that leads to the stance. There will be cases where the stance is turned down, or corrected for the better. It’s about humbleness.
Ownership is not learned helplessness 1. It’s not about cribbing. Well, if you’re the owner, and believe that nothing’s good is possible with the product. You’ve just made sure that nothing good can ever happen. It’s time to switch and move on.
Ownership is about changing things that we can. And then working with focus to bring back the not-so-aligned works back on track to the direction. Every act of the owner speaks is enthused with sparks of passion. It’s about self accountability for the words, principles and actions.