Introduction to product vision with big tech's examples
Product managers play a critical role in ensuring the success of a product by creating, managing, and championing the product vision. The product vision articulates the future state of a product, encapsulating the problems it aims to solve and the ambitions it seeks to fulfill. This article explores the importance of a product vision, provides examples of compelling visions from successful companies, and offers guidance on developing and sharing an impactful product vision.
A well-defined product vision serves as the true north for a product, guiding the team and stakeholders towards a common objective. It enhances strategic decision-making, fosters collaboration, and motivates individuals to connect with the product's purpose. By developing and sharing a clear product vision, product managers can inspire their teams and set the stage for a successful product journey.
Why important?
Having new ideas for your product is great, but it is not enough. What you need is a vision that guides everyone in the team to creating and managing a successful product. Steve Jobs said:
If you are woking on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.
A product vision gives you a bigger picture of what you are working on and why, acts as the product's true north in the ever-changing world, and facilitates effective collaboration. In other words, it improves your strategic decision making throughout the development process; for instance prioritizing features and helps you align teams and stakeholders across the company. Your vision would motivate people and connect them to the product.
Developing your vision
As your vision is the ultimate reason for creating the product, it should be short and clear so that everyone can easily understand and recite: other artifacts including a product strategy, a business model, a product backlog, and a marketing plan will provide the necessary details. Good examples of product visions are the following:
- Google - To provide access to the world’s information with one click.
- Instagram - To capture and share the world's moments.
- LinkedIn - To connect the world’s professionals and make them more productive and successful.
Having an awesome product vision is not easy. You need to collaborate with your stakeholders, team and customers to develop it and take iterations with them to improve your vision. Don't try to get it right the first time, make it better over time.
Sharing your vision
Even if you come up with an awesome product vision in your mind, it is still useless. To leverage the vision as the product's true north, the product vision must be shared. People could have their own vision as they like if it is not well shared, which leads to miscommunication or going in different directions eventually. It is so important to know why you are doing the things you do. Putting a product vision artifact such as a product vision board on Wiki is one option so that everyone can access and confirm it easily anytime.