In this chapter, we've looked at the somewhat inevitable shift that is taking place from project to product thinking as technology becomes core to our business. Information technology is no longer a cost center; it's either our operational backbone or our critical money-making channel, or both. Without it, our business likely wouldn't exist, and without constant evolution, we wouldn't remain competitive.

To keep our products competitive, we shouldn't think in terms of time, budget, and scope. Instead, our thinking needs to shift to the return on investment of each feature that we develop. This mindset leads us to the unceasing endeavor of seeking value.

By linking our objectives to vision and mission, we align our purpose and provide the context for our team from an organizational perspective.

If we then explain why we're doing something and not what we're doing, we empower our team to help us create the solution. The whole team can collaborate to build a product of worth, with each member, including the Product Owner, contributing their area of expertise.

If we obtain direction regarding the highest value items in our Product Owner's prioritization, everyone in the team can seek value that contributes to the product's overall success.

When we have a team who take shared ownership, and in which product ownership becomes a team responsibility, this is when we know we've switched from project to product thinking.

In the next chapter, we're going to look at how the Product Owner can hold the bigger picture for our team to help us stay focused on our mission.