The word “want” is generally used too often and too carelessly in our working environment. Is it correct to assume that the engineer’s job is to do what the product owner “wants,” and the product owner’s job to know above all else what s/he wants and demand it?
The specific language used during development impacts the quality of relationships between people as well as the tone of the environment. The word “want” -- much overused and abused in development -- implies a right and wrong. It encourages engineers to search for a single satisfying choice, driven by seeking approval from an absolute authority above them.
Many product owners assume that their job is to know what they want and to insist on it by saying things like: “Now I want you to make the system do X.” Engineers assume too often that their job, first and foremost, is to do what the product owner wants. How often can an engineer ask a product owner: “Is this what you wa