NEW Product Tarot!

This new version is an adaptation of the Original V3.0 BA Tarot Cards. We have now created a whole new set of vocabulary cards with a focus on the needs of a Product owner and Manager. The fundamental principal is the same, based on the original concept of 6 core functions but, the language and the knowledge is focussed around Product Ownership and the considerations of a Product Owner. We also have a new “Backlog” Card and a new “Journey” Card to enhance the workshop functionality.  Note: This is the first iteration and is very likely to change over time once we get feedback from our users. (Any feedback greatly appreciated)

Hope you like it – Here is an overview.

Hearts – Looking at the Product Vision and Leadership

The Vision & Leadership suit explores the heart of the product — its purpose, ownership, and guiding values. These cards help Product Owners and teams reflect on why the product exists, who holds responsibility for it, and how its vision inspires action. Drawing from this suit can unlock clarity, align stakeholders, and remind teams to stay anchored in the product’s “north star.”

Ace – Vision (core principle)

The Ace represents Product and Business Vision — the product’s reason for being. It asks the Product Owner to define the Vision & Mission, within the  context in which the product operates, and articulate the Why behind it (as well as why not ? ). The Ace reminds us that the business case, the value delivered to the user is critical, and the use of the teams collective input  are all essential foundations of direction and solution design. Without this clarity, building the right product is impossible.

Back triggers: Vision & Mission, Context, The Why, Business case, Value, Collective input

Castle – Foundations (foundation)

Every product is built on its foundations — its origins and the story of how it came to be, the market opportunity that first made it viable, and the functions it was created to deliver. The Castle card calls the Product Owner to reflect on the product’s aspirations and intended future outcomes, while also recognising what makes it unique, special, and different against the competition. These foundations form the baseline that still shapes decision-making today — a reminder that clarity about where the product came from is essential to guiding where it is going.

King – Focus (ambition & authority)

The King embodies Product Focus — the authority of setting clear ambition for the product. This card asks the Product Owner to define the product’s ambition and align it with the market drivers that create demand. It highlights the need for clarity in vision and strategy, translating high-level goals into actionable targets. The King also points to measuring adoption, ensuring the product generates meaningful returns, and producing tangible deliverables that prove progress. Focus is about keeping ambition sharp, grounded, and measurable.

Back triggers: Ambition, Market drivers, Clarity, Adoption, Returns, Deliverables

Queen – Ownership (relational aspect)

The Queen embodies Ownership — the advocacy and accountability that give a product its voice. This card asks the Product Owner to cultivate strong advocacy, take full accountability, and define clear roles and responsibilities. It highlights the importance of governance and assurance, ensuring authority is balanced with responsibility. True ownership is not about control alone, but about creating the conditions where decisions are trusted and delivery is assured.

Back triggers: Advocacy, Accountability, Roles & responsibilities, Governance, Assurance, Authority

Joker – Masks (wildcard/uncertainty)

The Joker exposes the risks of Masks — the hidden forces that distort vision. This card warns of approach choices made for the wrong reasons, hidden agendas that erode trust, and vision drift that blurs direction. It calls out political influence, misalignment, and even a false purpose as dangers that can mislead the product’s path. The Joker asks the Product Owner to stay vigilant: what’s real and what’s performance?

Back triggers: Approach choice, Hidden agendas, Vision drift, Political influence, Misalignment, False purpose

Knight – Vision in Action (method/movement)

The Knight is Vision in Action — the practical steps that bring vision to life. This card highlights the need for continuous discovery, ensuring touchpoints with customers and stakeholders remain active. It calls for experimentation, making evidence-based decisions, and cycling through expand–explore–close patterns to learn fast. Above all, it stresses cross-functional input, reminding the Product Owner that vision becomes reality only when the whole team is engaged.

Back triggers: Continuous discovery, Touchpoints, Experimentation, Evidence-based decisions, Expand–explore–close, Cross-functional input

Sage – Context (strategic perspective)

The Sage represents Context — the broader perspective that frames vision. This card asks the Product Owner to build a common understanding, recognise the wider landscape, and seek multiple perspectives. It draws on community input, tracks environmental shifts, and assesses the current situation in full. The Sage reminds us that vision does not exist in isolation; it is shaped by the world it inhabits.

Back triggers: Common understanding, Landscape, Perspectives, Community, Environment shifts, Current situation

Circles – Looking at the knowledge regarding customer and market Insights

The suit of Circles represents Knowledge and explores how a Product Owner builds insight into users, markets, and behaviours. It covers understanding customer needs, external research, product insights, the role of guidance and expertise, and the risks of bias and assumptions. It also reflects on discovery practices and continuous learning. Knowledge ensures that product decisions are informed, validated, and adaptable.

Focus: user needs, market understanding, and learning

Ace – Knowledge (core principle)

The Ace represents Knowledge, the foundation for all product decisions. It includes recognising user needs, pains, and goals, identifying jobs to be done, and building domain knowledge. It also relies on data, feedback, and knowledge repositories, while challenging gaps and assumptions. Knowledge anchors the product vision in reality.

Back triggers: User needs/pains/goals, Jobs to be done, Domain knowledge, Data & feedback, Knowledge repository, Gaps & assumptions

Castle – External Insight (foundation)

The Castle symbolises External Insight, the intelligence drawn from the wider world. It includes organisational insight, analytics, benchmarking, and market research. It also points to gathering feedback and monitoring competitors. External insight strengthens product positioning by connecting internal knowledge to market reality.

Back triggers: Organisational insight, Analytics, Benchmarking, Market research, Feedback, Competitors

King – Product Insight (ambition & authority)

The King embodies Product Insight, the authority that comes from understanding user behaviour. It highlights user engagement, personas and user types, and behavioural data. It also includes identifying patterns and anomalies, bringing the customer perspective, and guiding product decisions. Product insight is what gives ambition its evidence.

Back triggers: User engagement, Personas & user types, Behavioural data, Patterns & anomalies, Customer perspective, Product decisions

Queen – Guidance (relational aspect)

The Queen represents Guidance, the knowledge gained through relationships and expert networks. It includes mentors, champions, partners, and influencers, as well as the role of teaching and training. It also points to building consensus. Guidance reminds the Product Owner that insight often comes through people as much as data.

Back triggers: Mentors & experts, Champions, Partners, Influencers, Teaching & training, Consensus

Joker – Bias & Assumptions (wildcard/uncertainty)

The Joker exposes Bias & Assumptions, the distortions and gaps in knowledge. It highlights blind spots, overconfidence, and ignorance — legal, regulatory, ethical, or market-related. It also warns of missed opportunities, unconscious incompetence, and the need for mitigation of risks and dependencies. Bias is the wildcard that can derail product decisions if left unchecked.

Back triggers: Blind spots, Overconfidence, Ignorance, Missed opportunity, Unconscious incompetence, Mitigation

Knight – Active Discovery (method/movement)

The Knight embodies Active Discovery, the methods for continuously learning about users and markets. It stresses touchpoints, the recruitment of customers and SMEs, and applying techniques such as surveys, interviews, and field studies. It also includes building prototypes, drawing on subject matter experts, and ensuring transparency in research. Discovery keeps the product grounded in evidence.

Back triggers: Touchpoints, Recruitment of spies, Techniques, Prototype, Subject matter experts, Transparency

Sage – Learning Path (strategic perspective)

The Sage represents the Learning Path, the ongoing journey of knowledge. It includes formal and informal training, supporting adoption through advocacy, and developing training systems. It also highlights the importance of awareness and market education, sustained by motivation. The Learning Path ensures the Product Owner and team remain adaptive and informed.

Back triggers: Formal training, Informal training, Adoption to advocate, Training systems, Awareness, Motivation

Triangles – Looking at resources & constraints

The suit of Resources explores what the Product Owner must manage to balance ambition with feasibility. It covers the organisation’s needs and constraints, tangible and intangible assets, the competing demands of stakeholders, the safeguards that protect the product and team, and the products delivered as a result. Resources define both the opportunities available and the limits that must be respected.

Focus: assets, capacity, protection, and delivery outcomes.

Ace – Resources (core principle)

The Ace represents Resources, the essential base of delivery. It highlights budget and financials, team capacity, and skills. It also includes practical needs such as tools, systems, and information, as well as time and energy. Morale and momentum are as critical as money — resources power the product journey.

Back triggers: Financial/budget, Team capacity, Skills, Needs (tools/systems/support/information), Time, Energy & morale

Castle – Constraints (foundation)

The Castle symbolises Constraints, the boundaries within which delivery must operate. It highlights time and effort, technical limitations, and skills gaps across teams or partners. It also stresses maturity, organisational bottlenecks, and internal or external dependencies. Constraints clarify what is difficult, risky, or impossible in the current state.

Back triggers: Time or magnitude (cost/effort/difficulty), Technical limitations, Skills gap, Maturity, Process bottlenecks, Dependencies

King – The Tangible Assets (ambition & authority)

The King embodies Tangible Assets, the measurable resources that shape delivery authority. It includes people and skills, infrastructure and technology stack, and finance. It also considers scalability and inventory — logistics, fulfilment, stock, channels, and partners. Tangible assets define the practical power of the product team.

Back triggers: People & skills, Infrastructure, Technology stack, Finance, Scalability, Inventory

Queen – The Intangible – Secrets (relational aspect)

The Queen represents Intangible Assets, the less visible but powerful enablers of success. It highlights know-how, trademarks and copyrights, and goodwill. It also covers reputation and brand, data, and contracts or loyalty agreements. Intangibles often prove more decisive than tangibles in sustaining trust and advantage.

Back triggers: Know-how, Trademarks & copyrights, Goodwill, Reputation & brand, Data, Contracts & loyalty

Joker – Stakeholder Demands (wildcard/uncertainty)

The Joker exposes Stakeholder Demands, the unpredictable pressures that reshape priorities. These include internal competing needs, external shifting demands, and the influence of champions and critics. It also calls out priority conflicts and unrealistic expectations of speed, quality, or cost. Stakeholders are the wildcard — they can empower or derail delivery.

Back triggers: Internal (competing needs/dependency risk), External (shifting priorities/hidden cost), Champions, Critics, Priority conflicts, Unrealistic expectations

Knight – Protection (method/movement)

The Knight embodies Protection, the measures that keep the product and team resilient. It includes safeguards at the product, company, and team level, as well as repair and maintenance. It also covers resilience planning and continuity — buffers, disaster recovery, and critical path preservation. Protection sustains resources in motion.

Back triggers: Product, Company, Team, Repair & maintenance, Resilience plans, Continuity

Sage – Products Delivered (strategic perspective)

The Sage represents Products Delivered, the ultimate measure of resource use. It asks whether delivery has met customer expectations, aligned with organisational goals, and created long-term value. It also stresses delivering on time and on budget, demonstrating impact and outcomes, and embedding reflection and lessons learned. Products are the strategic proof of resource stewardship.

Back triggers: Customer, Organisation, Long-term value, On time & in budget, Impact & outcomes, Reflection

Spades representing product experience and its delivery

The suit of Experience explores how a Product Owner ensures that promises are delivered with quality and consistency. It looks at product behaviour, commitments made, the processes of assurance, and the reasons behind delivery choices. It also addresses communication, methods, and the user story that emerges from ongoing practice. Experience is where vision turns into results, sustained by trust and reliability.

Focus: behaviour, delivery, quality, and assurance

Ace – Experience (core principle)

The Ace represents Experience, the way the product behaves and is perceived in action. It includes product personality, team activities, deliverables, and performance, as well as the importance of consistency with product values. Experience defines the credibility of delivery — it’s what customers actually encounter.

Back triggers: Product behaviour, Personality, Actions/activities, Deliverables, Performance, Consistency

Castle – The Promise (foundation)

The Castle symbolises The Promise, the commitments underpinning delivery. These include promises to the business, team, and customers, as well as requirements and expectations. It stresses keeping delivery clear, simple, and measurable. The promise forms the foundation of trust.

Back triggers: Promise to business, Promise to team, Promise to customer, Requirements & expectations, Clear & simple, Measurable (SMART)

King – Assurance (ambition & authority)

The King embodies Assurance, the authority of quality and trust. It highlights testing and feedback, assessment and monitoring, and performance consistency. It also calls for clear responsibilities and building trust through reliability. Assurance gives confidence that delivery is not just complete, but dependable.

Back triggers: Quality & testing, Performance & consistency, Assessment & monitoring, Testing & feedback, Clear responsibilities, Trust

Queen – The Why (relational aspect)

The Queen represents The Why, the reason behind delivery choices. It includes tests of inspiration, stakeholder alignment, and business cases. It also explores the customer perspective, alternatives, and core reasons. Asking “why” ensures delivery has purpose and alignment, not just motion.

Back triggers: Test or inspiration, Stakeholder alignment, Reason, Alternative, Business case, Customer perspective

Joker – Communication (wildcard/uncertainty)

The Joker reveals Communication, the wildcard that can support or undermine delivery. It covers internal and external messaging, the risks of ambiguity, and issues with tone, language, or channels. It also calls out noise, distractions, and misalignment with audience needs. Communication is the uncertainty that can make or break experience.

Back triggers: Internal & external, Ambiguity & consistency, Language, Distractions & noise, The audience, The channel

Knight – Delivery Method (method/movement)

The Knight embodies Delivery Method, the practices and flows that sustain execution. It includes effort, systems, processes, and techniques, alongside continuous improvement (Kaizen). It also points to review practices like retrospectives and definitions of done. Delivery method ensures that promises are carried through into reality.

Back triggers: Effort, Systems, Processes & flows, Techniques & practices, Kaizen, Review

Sage – The [User] Story (strategic perspective)

The Sage represents The [User] Story, the narrative of delivery as experienced by the customer. It includes personas, scenarios, key criteria, and simplification of backlog. It also highlights interpretation and testimonials, which turn delivery into meaningful journeys. The user story is the strategic outcome of consistent delivery.

Back triggers: Personas, Interpretation, Scenario, Key criteria, Simplify, Testimonials

Clubs – Representing Product Cunning (strategy & roadmap)

Focus: planning, priorities, scope, and tactical adaptability

The suit of Cunning explores how a Product Owner balances strategy with pragmatism. It covers aligning with product strategy, choosing roadmap approaches, mastering time, setting priorities, navigating change, scoping delivery, and applying tactics. This is the suit of foresight and manoeuvring — making clever, timely decisions to maximise value.

Focus: planning, priorities, scope, and tactical adaptability

Ace – Cunning (core principle)

The Ace represents Cunning, the strategic intelligence behind product decisions. It includes alignment to product strategy, design and roadmap thinking, and definition and communication of direction. It also relies on empowerment and sponsorship, measuring progress with metrics, and grounding choices in a business case.

Back triggers: Alignment, Design & roadmap, Definition & communication, Empowerment (sponsorship), Metrics, Business case

Castle – Roadmap Approach (foundation)

The Castle symbolises the Roadmap Approach, the foundation for product planning. It highlights the planning framework chosen, whether analytical or agile, and the styles of approach — reactive, resource-based, positioning, or strength/weakness focused. It reminds the PO that the roadmap is both a plan and a signal of intent.

Back triggers: Planning framework, Strength/weakness approach, Reactive approach, Positioning approach, Resource-based approach, Style (ad-hoc, collaborative, unilateral, admin)

King – Time (ambition & authority)

The King embodies Time, the authority of delivery cadence and deadlines. It stresses people time (effort), calendar time (deadlines), and the cost of time. It also looks at opportunity time (first-mover advantage), knowing when it’s the right time to act, and recognising time value as an asset.

Back triggers: People time, Calendar time, Cost of time, Opportunity time, Time to act, Time value

Queen – Priority (relational aspect)

The Queen represents Priority, the discipline of making trade-offs. It focuses on defining value, understanding team capabilities, and gauging magnitude in terms of cost, time, and difficulty. It also explores opportunities and threats, backlog refinement, and dependency management. Prioritisation shapes relationships and determines where energy flows.

Back triggers: Value, Capabilities, Magnitude, Opportunity/threat, Backlog, Dependency

Joker – Change (wildcard/uncertainty)

The Joker exposes Change, the uncertainty that disrupts strategy. It asks why change is happening and how to manage communication and adoption. It highlights the need for buy-in, the importance of opportunity analysis, and the role of deployment styles (big bang, phased, parallel, prototype). It also calls for clear risk and contingency planning.

Back triggers: Why change?, Communication & adoption, Buy-in, Opportunity analysis, Deployment style, Risk & contingency

Knight – Scope (method/movement)

The Knight embodies Scope, the method of defining and containing delivery. It includes clarifying stakeholders and actors, deciding on release or increment timing, and ensuring breakdown and simplification. It also requires validation and taking on responsibilities for scope and capacity management. Scope keeps ambition feasible.

Back triggers: Stakeholders, Actors (incl. supply chain), Release/increment timing, Breakdown or simplify, Validate, Responsibilities

Sage – Tactics (strategic perspective)

The Sage represents Tactics, the strategic craft of manoeuvring. It includes setting order and sprint goals, mastering logistics (who, what, when, why, how), and deciding when to be offensive or defensive. It also explores being anticipatory or responsive, and choosing when to be disruptive. Tactics turn plans into effective, clever execution.

Back triggers: Order, Release & sprint goals, Logistics, Offensive/defensive, Anticipatory/responsive, Disruptive

Diamonds – Representing  competitive advantage (winning & outcomes)

The suit of Winning explores what success looks like in product ownership. It covers the outcomes and value that define competitive advantage, the metrics used to measure it, the processes that sustain it, and the factors that make winning sustainable. It also acknowledges the role of motivation, automation, and technique in ensuring that results are not just achieved, but maintained and improved. Winning is both about competitive edge and lasting impact.

Focus: achievement, value, sustainability, and mastery

Ace – Winning (core principle)

The Ace represents Winning, the pursuit of outcomes that prove the product’s value. It highlights efficiency and effectiveness, managing waste, and balancing good versus perfection. It also asks Product Owners to define product value, outcomes, and attitude toward success. Winning is the anchor of product advantage.

Back triggers: Outcomes, Efficient & effective, Waste, Good vs perfection, Product value, Attitude

Castle – Metrics (foundation)

The Castle symbolises Metrics, the foundation for assessing outcomes. It stresses owner metrics (margin, profit, lifetime value, cost), delivery metrics (KPIs, milestones, outcomes, time to market), and rework or error tracking. It also includes decision time, reinforcing product value, and ensuring advocacy and loyalty. Metrics provide the evidence base for product success.

Back triggers: Owner metrics, Delivery metrics, Errors/rework, Decision time, Product value, Advocacy

King – Product Processes (ambition & authority)

The King embodies Product Processes, the engine that sustains winning. It covers R&D, production, support, sales, marketing, delivery, loyalty, retention, and finance. These processes demonstrate the authority of execution — turning ideas into repeatable, valuable outcomes.

Back triggers: Research & development, Production & support, Sales & marketing, Delivery, Loyalty & retention, Finance

Queen – Sustainability (relational aspect)

The Queen represents Sustainability, the relational strength that sustains achievement. It highlights education, communication, involvement, and support, as well as the nature of resistance to adoption. It also reminds us to celebrate success to maintain morale and momentum. Sustainability is about long-term balance, not short-term wins.

Back triggers: Education, Nature of resistance, Communication, Involvement, Support, Celebrate success

Joker – Motivation (wildcard/uncertainty)

The Joker exposes Motivation, the uncertain driver of performance. It includes avoiding vanity metrics, understanding user motivations, and recognising risks such as procrastination or emergencies. It also highlights the importance of goals, rewards, and energy. Motivation is the fuel of winning — powerful when aligned, dangerous when misdirected.

Back triggers: Avoid vanity metrics, User motivations, Procrastination, Emergencies & crises, Goals & rewards, Energy

Knight – Automation (method/movement)

The Knight embodies Automation, the practical enabler of efficiency. It highlights process re-engineering, technology implementation, and process flows, supported by clear business cases. It also includes addressing waste and applying systems such as AI, analytics, or insights. Automation ensures that winning becomes scalable and repeatable.

Back triggers: Process re-engineering, Technology implementation, Process & flows, Business case, Waste, Systems (AI, analytics, insight)

Sage – Techniques (strategic perspective)

The Sage represents Techniques, the craft of continuous improvement and mastery. It includes learning, expert advice, best practice, and collaboration, as well as pilots, practice, and focused attention. It also stresses lifecycle management to sustain achievement. Techniques ensure that winning is refined over time and not left to chance.

Back triggers: Learning, Expert advice & best practice, Consensus & collaboration, Practice & pilot, Focused attention, Lifecycle management

Auxiliary Cards

The Auxiliary Cards sit outside the six main suits. They provide extra perspectives, tools, and prompts that help Product Owners and teams make sense of complexity. These cards represent cross-cutting forces — value alignment, navigation, journeys, and the practical discipline of managing the backlog.

Auxiliary Cards (Product Owner’s Compass)

Focus: value alignment, solutions, stakeholder journeys, and delivery enablers

The Auxiliary Cards provide the Product Owner with higher-level perspectives that cut across suits. They are not about one facet of ownership but about alignment: ensuring that product work ties directly to customer value, business outcomes, technical feasibility, and continuous delivery. These cards act as a compass, reminding the PO of the big picture.

The Trinity – Value Compass

The Trinity represents the three angles of value: customer, business, and IT solution. Together, they provide a balance to ensure that product development does not over-rotate toward one perspective at the expense of another.

• Value to Customer
  Focuses on function and convenience, reliability, and usability. It asks the PO to keep empathy and customer experience at the centre of decision-making, ensuring solutions meet real needs.
  Back triggers: Stakeholder (customer/user/partner/regulator), Function & convenience, Reliability & consistency, Empathy, Value, The solution

• Value to the Business
  Examines growth, profitability, ROI, and brand reputation, alongside the need for trust and agility. It reminds the PO that product success is also business success.
  Back triggers: Stakeholder (owner/regulator/competitor), Growth & profitability, ROI, Image & reputation, Trust, Agility

• Value from the IT Solution
  Looks at technical compatibility, usability, reliability, compliance, and error-free availability. It asks whether the product can scale and sustain delivery through robust technology.
  Back triggers: Compatibility, Usability & accessibility, Reliability, Compliance, Error-free, Availability

The Solution – What Success Looks Like

The Solution card focuses on crystallising what the product is meant to achieve. It pushes the PO to articulate the essence of the MVP, test assumptions, and validate ideas early. It encourages keeping success criteria visible and aligning solutions with the Trinity of value.

Back triggers: Assumptions, Testing & validation, Essence & MVP, Opportunity focus, Value to Trinity, Measures & criteria

The Journey – The Experience of Stakeholders

The Journey represents the product lifecycle as experienced by customers, teams, and stakeholders. It highlights triggers and stages, the emotions felt along the way, and the risks or handoffs involved. It encourages POs to see the product as part of a larger experience, not just a backlog.

Back triggers: Triggers & stages, Emotion & feel, Handoffs & risks, Experience & opportunity, Value to Trinity, Pace (play, pause, fast-forward)

The Backlog – Matters Needing to Be Dealt With

The Backlog is the PO’s most practical auxiliary card — the container of work. It stresses the importance of refining stories as a team, defining ready and done, and prioritising based on value, cost, risk, and dependencies. It also includes measuring velocity to sustain rhythm and delivery pace.

Back triggers: Product & sprint backlog, Story refinement, Definition of Ready, Definition of Done, Priority, Velocity