During execution, a new product owner says the first-release scope must change. What should the project lead ask the product owner to do first?

The correct answer is to review the priorities of the existing backlog items in the release. In an agile environment, especially when a new Product Owner (PO) joins, the first step when scope changes are requested is to understand the current state and priorities. The PO is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and managing the product backlog. Before adding new items, the PO should assess how the proposed changes impact the existing, prioritized work. This ensures that the most valuable items are being worked on and helps to manage expectations regarding capacity and delivery. Creating new backlog items and discussing them at the next sprint planning or retrospective is premature. Without first understanding the existing priorities, the new items might not align with the overall release goals or could displace more critical work. Raising them in a daily standup is inappropriate as the daily standup is for team synchronization on progress and impediments, not for introducing new scope changes.