In the context of Product Ownership analysis, it is often required to investigate or research concepts, novel ideas, or a user story to baseline the effort required to deliver. Designated team members may be required to elaborate or investigate PBIs for clarity.

Spikes are used primarily to establish an effort estimate, and POA Practitioners provide the necessary background knowledge or product vision that drives the need for the PBI.

On a larger scale, Proof of Concept (POC) is used where the goal is to demonstrate the value of

• A particular thought process,
• Product idea,
• Prototype, or
• A group of PBIs.

This type of analysis is more prevalent when new products are incubated, or investment decisions need to be made.

POA Domain
Applying Foundational Concepts	Spikes can be used in the initial phases of the product lifecycle to verify if organizational context allows the team to be productive. For example, spikes can be used to understand the team capabilities and where team members can develop the necessary capabilities to deliver certain PBIs. The team can also identify and learn to use organizational sources effectively to investigate PBIs.
Cultivate Customer Intimacy	Spikes do not play a significant role in this domain.
Engage the Whole Team	Individual spikes are often attributed to a single team member who would be responsible for discovering appropriate details. Although only one team member may analyze a PBI, the results are debated and discussed to develop a baseline estimate for delivery.
Make an Impact	Spikes require purposeful activities with a goal to establish some form of estimation baseline. Once the spike is conducted to provide better clarity, the discovered information or research must be strong enough to create shared understanding.
Deliver Often	Spikes are often used as a technique in the initial phases of the product lifecycle when the PBIs are in flux or require more elaboration. Once the understanding of the product team improves, a smaller number of spikes need to be accommodated.
Learn Fast	Spikes are intended for the team to learn about PBIs faster to gain clarity. This requires sharing discovered information often with the team, taking opinions and collaborating. Spikes usually entail additional effort beyond traditional iteration effort, so faster learning is required.
Obsess About Value	Spikes and POCs are often used to understand potential value. Although objectively different in scale and scope, both require a deeper understanding of value. For spikes, value of PBIs need to be understood and explored for estimation. For POCs, value needs to be demonstrated and established for a larger set of PBIs or products.