Whether you are a seasoned product manager or an aspiring entrepreneur, a compelling product vision is essential if you want to build a product that delivers value to your customers and creates profit for your business.
A product vision helps you:
- Build the right product strategy.
- Make decisions about what your product should do.
- Inspire your team to innovate.
- Compel your customers to buy your product.
Here’s how you can craft a compelling vision for your product:
- Keep it short and succinct.
- Align with your company’s vision.
- Focus on the user.
- Make it big and ambitious.
- Stay away from specifics.
- Make it inspirational.
- Make it unique
Let’s break it down.
Keep it short and succinct.
Your product vision should be easy to understand, remember, and communicate.
To achieve this, think about your product five years from now. What does it do? What features does it have? Who does it serve?
Write these out and then simplify the answer to make it no longer than one or two sentences.
Example: “To make video communication frictionless.” - Zoom
Align with your company’s vision.
If you are starting out and don’t have a business yet, your product vision is the vision for your company.
If you have a company vision, you must align your product vision to that vision. Your vision should clearly communicate how your product will contribute to your company’s larger purpose.
Example: “To be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.” - Southwest Airlines
Focus it on the user.
You are building your product to create value for your customers and users. It is important to remember that when you are crafting your vision.
Answer who the product is for, what problems it solves, and what benefits users can expect.
Example: “To make commerce better for everyone.” - Shopify
Make it big and ambitious.
A vision should be big and almost unachievable. A bold product vision will help you remain flexible in terms of the product strategy you pursue and how.
Example: “To capture and share the world’s moments” - Instagram
Stay away from specific solutions.
Personal visions should be super specific, describing exactly what you want to have in the future. Product visions are the exact opposite.
A product vision should leave room for innovation and experimentation. Describe the positive impact your product is intended to have, not what it is.
Example: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click.” - Google
Make it inspirational
The product vision should be something that people care about and can connect with. If it doesn’t inspire you to dream, then your vision doesn’t won’t compel others to do the same.
Example: “To spread ideas.” - TED
Make it unique
Ask yourself, what sets your product apart from other alternatives, and why does it matter? The answer to this question will provide you with your unique vision.
Example: “To become the world’s leading streaming entertainment service” - Netflix.
BONUS: Iterate it
If your vision is no longer aspirational or motivational, or if it doesn’t ring true for customers, create a new and better vision statement.