Which key job function differentiates a Product Manager from a Product Owner (PO)?

While both the Product Manager (PM) and Product Owner (PO) prioritize backlogs, the scope and level of their prioritization is a key differentiator. The Product Manager is responsible for prioritizing the ART Backlog, which contains Features and drives the work of the entire Agile Release Train. This is a strategic, market-facing function. The PO prioritizes the Team Backlog, which contains Stories, a more tactical, team-facing function within the context set by the PM.

A. Focusing on the short-term Vision: The Product Manager typically focuses on the medium-to-long-term vision and roadmap, while the PO is more focused on the short-term iteration goals.
B. Accepting Stories: Accepting Stories is a key responsibility of the Product Owner, not the Product Manager. The Product Manager accepts the completed Features.
C. Reviewing legal agreements: This is a task that falls under the external-facing responsibilities of a Product Manager, but prioritizing the ART backlog is a more fundamental and differentiating core function.

1. Scaled Agile, Inc. (2023). Product Manager. Scaled Agile Framework. Retrieved from https://www.scaledagileframework.com/product-manager/. (This article states the PM is "responsible for... prioritizing the ART Backlog.")

2. Scaled Agile, Inc. (2023). Product Owner. Scaled Agile Framework. Retrieved from https://www.scaledagileframework.com/product-owner/. (This article states the PO is "responsible for... prioritizing the Team Backlog.")

3. Leffingwell, D. (2011). Agile Software Requirements: Lean Requirements Practices for Teams, Programs, and the Enterprise. Addison-Wesley Professional. (Chapter 6 discusses the distinct roles of the Product Manager and Product Owner, emphasizing their different backlog ownership and prioritization responsibilities.)