From Ideas to Reality: How a Strong Vision Shapes the Future of the Product

Having a clear product vision is like having a star map that guides your team to success. However, there’s some friendly clarification needed on two crucial points.

Firstly, it’s common to mix up vision with mission. Often, when people share their “product vision,” they’re actually sharing their “mission statement.” It’s important to distinguish between a general slogan expressing the company’s purpose and a specific vision that defines the product’s direction.

Secondly, there’s a tendency for each product team to create its own vision. But here’s the catch: the product vision should be a common “North Star” for all teams. If each team chooses its own direction, we lose the cohesion needed to achieve shared goals.

So, why is it essential to have a strong product vision? Here are some friendly reasons:

1.Customer Focus: A good product vision helps us stay focused on customer needs.

2.Guidance for All: It acts as a common reference for everyone in the organization to understand where we’re headed together.

3.Inspiration for Teams: Motivates our teams to create extraordinary products that truly matter.

4.Meaning of Work: Shows us why our work is meaningful, beyond a list of features on a roadmap.

5.Adaptation to Trends: Illustrates how we’ll leverage the latest trends and technologies to solve problems in innovative ways.

Additionally, a strong vision has indirect benefits, providing clarity to the engineering organization, influencing team structure, and directing product strategy.

In summary, the product vision is not just a fancy statement; it’s a guiding light for the entire team toward success. So, when you think about your product vision, make sure it’s compelling, inspiring, and capable of bringing everyone together in the exciting task of bringing that vision to life.