Demystifying Usability

Should your UX person act as Product Owner in Agile?

One of the key strengths of Agile development is that it brings customer feedback into the product management and development lifecycle.  However, many teams are trying to figure out how User Experience (UX) influences Agile. A key question teams I work with are asking is: Should the Product Owner role be held by the UX person or not?

Does Agile move too fast for Usability?

Agile's defining characteristic is speed. Unlike other software development methodologies (like Waterfall) that work in timeframes of months, Agile timelines are measured in weeks (2-4 typically) with actual code developed for each 'sprint'.

Is Agile's rapid and fixed development deadlines and deliverables conducive of usability activities? In short do you have time to do usability?