How Product Vision fits in the toolbox of Product Management
And how it connects to the Mission, Opportunities and Solutions
The most common “I know what it means, but in reality I don’t” in product management is the product vision. The power of this tool is unrealised by most.
𝐀 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Most PMs (and even product leaders) unconsciously de-prioritise designing a vision because they’re either focused on the operational and tactical part of managing the product, or they expect “someone above” (ie. CPO or founders) to take care of it. Often “those above” don’t do it either because they think they have “an empowered organisation, of course the vision comes from the PMs”. Broken loop.
What everyone doesn’t realize (and ends up missing) is that a product vision can…
1️⃣ help you and your team get out of bed in the morning and pumped. Especially if the day is filled with unsexy tactical things that are required to make the vision true.
2️⃣ help hire the best talent. Because which A-players don’t like to build an exciting future?
3️⃣ help avoid making wrong decisions. “Does it get us closer to paining the future we envision?” If not, should you really be chasing it?
The short term success of building a product vision is having your team using it to define their roadmaps. Long term success is lasting long enough to live it in person. And the easiest part: you can cascade it to goals, opportunities and solutions. If they all line up, then you’re likely execution against your vision.
Independently of the scope you manage, take an hour today and think “what is my product’s mission, and what does the future look like when fulfilling it?”. A beautiful narrative to that question is the raw form of your vision. Now start carving it.