So you're saying that there should be someone between PM and the customers? That's just way too much indirection IMO. Also engineering has not been "a service"

So you're saying that there should be someone between PM and the customers? That's just way too much indirection IMO. Also engineering has not been "a service" anywhere I've worked and engineering typically has done QA as well, without an independent team. Product owner is whoever is ultimately responsible for what the product will do. Often it's PM, but on a lot of teams it makes sense for it to be engineering, especially if it's a product for other engineers.