A product owner is a key role in agile project management, particularly within the Scrum framework. They are responsible for defining the vision of a product and ensuring that the development team understands the requirements. This involves prioritizing features and tasks in the product backlog, which is a list of work items that need to be completed. In addition to managing the backlog, product owners act as a bridge between stakeholders, such as customers and the development team. They gather feedback, clarify requirements, and make decisions to maximize the value of the product being developed. Their role is crucial for aligning the team's work with business goals.