## What Should a Product Owner Do When Stakeholders Push to Prioritize Their PBIs? The Product Owner is accountable for backlog ordering and must consider value over influence, sometimes pushing back and engaging in dialogue about alignment with the Product Goal. >[!metaphor] >Letting influence set priorities is like letting VIPs cut in line at airport security. It may appease a few, but it clogs the system and delays the actual departures. </br> The Product Owner ensures backlog flow reflects strategic alignment, not social status. ## Works Consulted 1. [Stakeholders and Customers](https://www.scrum.org/learning-series/stakeholders-and-customers/) | Scrum.org | Accessed 29 Jul. 2025. ## Connections follows:: [[4.1 Product Owners Safeguard Value Delivery by Saying No]] topics:: [[Product Owner]], [[Product Goal]], [[Product Backlog]], [[HiPPO]] Related | [[4.1b Clear and Firm Nos Prevent Confusion and False Hope]] -> If you need to say no, better to be firm than wishy washy. Related | [[4.1c Sharing the Why Behind a No Improves Decision Quality]] -> Influence will not want to hear no, helping them understand it's logical and not personal can help. Related | [[1.3h The Product Goal Shapes the Product Backlog]] -> The Product Goal should be the main driver for prioirty, not influence. ![[Footer]]