Since the project started, the product owner repeatedly asks during ceremonies about budget spent per iteration, focusing more on cost than the product. What should you have done earlier to change this behavior?

The correct answer is to work with the product owner to clarify their role and the scope of agile ceremonies. In agile, the product owner focuses on maximizing product value, and ceremonies like sprint reviews are for inspecting the increment and adapting the backlog, not primarily for detailed budget discussions. Clarifying these expectations upfront helps align their behavior with agile principles. Working on different estimating approaches might build confidence in estimates but doesn't address the core issue of the product owner's misplaced focus during ceremonies. Negotiating a fixed-price contract is a contractual decision that doesn't directly resolve a product owner's behavior or understanding of agile roles. Developing a communications management plan for budget reports might provide the data, but it doesn't prevent the product owner from raising these concerns in inappropriate forums if their understanding of their role and ceremony purpose is not addressed.