Product owners need to stop using "user sign-off" as cover for product decisions.
There is a real difference between being user-centred and being decision-avoidant, and I keep seeing teams fall into the same pattern. They do the research, uncover real user pain points, and shape a sensible solution. Then, right at the point where product judgement is required, the Product Owner goes back to users and asks: "Is this what you want?" or "Can you sign this off?"
That is the wrong question.
Users are experts in their problems. They are not your design authority, your scope committee, or your insurance policy. Asking them to approve a solution is not collaboration; it is risk transfer. It gives a team cover: if the feature underperforms, the Product Owner can point back and say, "Users said they liked it".
That is not user-centred product thinking. It is weak product judgement.
The product owner's job is not to build exactly what users ask for. The job is to make sound decisions based on evidence, constraints, trade-offs, and a clear understanding of the problem. User input is critical, but accountability still sits with the product team.
Use research to understand needs. Show users how their feedback has shaped direction. Test realistic prototypes to learn whether people can use the thing in context. Be transparent about trade-offs and clear about what still needs validation.
But do not outsource go/no-go decisions to people who do not own the technical debt, the budget, or the strategic direction.
Listen to users. Learn from users. Then carry the accountability yourself.
