A Day In The Life Of A Product Owner

In an industry where innovation never sleeps, the Product Owner role is evolving quickly. 

Today, it’s not just about backlogs and user stories, it’s about embracing AI, staying customer-focused, and finding smarter ways to solve problems. 

We caught up with Olivia McCartan, one of our team of Product Owners, to talk about a typical day in her role, how AI has become part of her team’s toolkit, and why building empathy still lies at the heart of it all. 

Starting The Day With Purpose 

Olivia, what does a typical day look like for you right now? 

Part of what I love about the role is that no two days are ever the same! I usually start my day checking in on key priorities, then I might spend some time refining user stories, looking at the latest data insights, or prepping for or going on a discovery session with end users. 

Being The Voice Of The Customer 

What’s the core focus of the Product Owner role? 

At its heart, the role is about solving the right problems. We work closely with our engineering teams, UX designers, and architects, but we always represent the voice of the customer in those conversations.

That means identifying pain points, spotting opportunities, and making sure that what we build is aligned with both user needs and business outcomes.  

What do you love the most in your role? 

One of the most energising parts of the job is running discovery workshops. Those are where we really dig into challenges, ask questions, and listen deeply to what users are telling us.  

Working With AI — The New Normal 

How has AI changed your work day-to-day? 

In so many ways! As a Product Owner, you’re constantly juggling detail and big-picture thinking. With AI, we can delegate some of the more routine tasks, like formatting user stories or summarising customer interviews, so we can spend more time on what really moves the needle.

We’ve also used AI within products we’re developing, for example, we’ve used AI to analyse huge datasets and flag potential anomalies. That not only reduced fraud but saved the business significant costs. 

But I’ll be honest, we’re still learning. AI isn’t magic, and it definitely needs human oversight. I treat it as a powerful assistant, not a replacement.

Challenges And Balance 

Are there challenges in using AI in your role? 

One big challenge is making sure we don’t blindly trust what AI gives us. It’s essential to validate outputs, especially when we’re using AI to inform customer-facing features or decisions. 

There are also ethical considerations, things like data privacy, bias in AI models, and the need to keep a human touch in the experiences we design. Those are conversations we’re having across teams, and they’re critical. At Liberty IT, we take a careful, responsible approach to AI. It’s exciting, but we also know it comes with new responsibilities. 

Advice For Future Product Owners 

What skills matter most for product owners right now? 

The fundamentals still matter: empathy, curiosity, communication, and a strong understanding of your users. AI can enhance those things, but it can’t replace them. Try AI tools out, see what works, stay curious, go to events, listen to podcasts or take a course. 

You don’t have to be an expert overnight, but you do need to stay open and adaptable. And don’t forget the power of your team. The collaboration between product, engineering, UX and business is what drives real success. AI can help, but it’s the people who bring the magic. 

Want to get involved? 

At Liberty IT, Product is a growing discipline, with an evolving community, new mentoring initiatives, and a clear focus on customer impact. 

Olivia puts it best: “We’re solving problems that matter, with tools that didn’t exist a few years ago. But what’s constant is the need to listen, learn and lead with empathy.” 

If you’re ready to shape what’s next in product and tech, check out career opportunities at Liberty IT.