In the building-permit inspection scheduler, inspectors want default slots bunched on two weekdays to reduce drive time; residents want evenings and Saturdays. Each group is lobbying council. What should the Product Owner do?

Conflicting stakeholder needs are normal in civic products. The Product Owner should facilitate resolution with evidence and the Product Goal—for example, which default actually reduces failed inspections and resident wait time—rather than conceding to the louder lobby. Automatic preference for staff or for customer first, or alternating defaults as a political compromise, treats power as the ordering principle. Goals and evidence keep the Product Owner accountable for value.