by Susan Toppert
Early in my career, I worked on a project that was destined to fail.
I was on the IT side, tasked with building a solution based on a three-page document that was handed to me as “all the requirements you’ll need.” I didn’t know who our customer really was. I didn’t understand the IT systems we needed to integrate with. And there wasn’t a single business stakeholder who could explain the actual business problem we were supposed to solve.
We delivered something, but it wasn’t the right thing. That experience taught me a hard but valuable lesson: without true alignment between the business, IT, and the customer, projects almost always miss the mark.
Why I Shifted into Product Ownership
After that project, I made a career-changing decision. I didn’t want anyone else — on the IT side, on the business side, or on the customer side — to go through that same painful experience again.
So, I stepped into what would later be called the Product Owner role. My focus became making sure that before any solution was built, we understood:
- Who the customer really is;
- What business problem we are trying to solve;
- Which IT systems we need to integrate with and why;
- How success will be measured for both the business and the user.
- A Different Approach in Action
On a later project, I applied this mindset while helping automate a manual business process. This time, we approached things differently.
We spent time deeply understanding the pain points, and whether they were caused by policy or technology.
We worked hand-in-hand with stakeholders and end users, ensuring they knew not just what we were building, but why.
We brought IT in at the right stage, giving them clarity on the real business problem and the customer context, not just a requirements checklist.
We invested in training and adoption, ensuring people were comfortable with the change.
The result? The project went live with zero critical IT issues. Users trusted the solution because they had been part of the journey. And most importantly, the solution actually solved the right problem.
Why This Matters for Clients
Strong product ownership is what closes the gaps that cause projects to fail. Without it, organizations risk creating solutions that don’t address the true business problem, along with misalignment between business, IT, and customer needs. That often leads to low adoption and wasted investment.
But with strong product ownership, organizations gain a clear understanding of what problem is being solved and why. IT teams are equipped with the right context to build the how, and engaged users adopt and trust the solution.
How evolv Helps
At evolv, we’ve seen firsthand how the right product ownership practices transform outcomes. We help clients:
- Bridge the gap between business, IT, and the customer;
- Separate process and policy issues from true technology challenges;
- Drive alignment early, so teams are solving the right problems;
- Support adoption and change management to ensure solutions stick.
We don’t just help deliver products. We help deliver the right products.
Final Thought
That first project, when I was handed a short requirements document with no customer context, was a turning point for me. It’s why I became a product owner before the role even formally existed. Because I saw firsthand that strong product ownership isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the difference between failure and success.
If your teams are struggling to connect business, IT, and customer needs, let’s talk. At evolv, we help organizations build solutions that deliver real business value because they’re built on understanding, alignment, and trust.
Have you ever been on a project where the requirements looked “complete” on paper but missed the mark in reality? How did your team handle it?
Susan Toppert is a seasoned product owner and senior consultant at evolv Consulting, bringing over 28 years of experience in delivering technology and business solutions. She has a proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional projects that span global teams and multiple business and IT domains. Susan specializes in translating business objectives into actionable solutions, ensuring clear communication of scope, dependencies, and challenges across all stakeholders. Her expertise in agile methodologies and solution ownership enables her to drive alignment, foster collaboration, and deliver measurable value. Based in the Dallas area, Susan is known for her strategic mindset, ability to navigate complexity, and commitment to guiding teams toward meaningful, high-impact outcomes.
