Product Vision Statements

Learn to create and use a product vision

A product vision statement is a powerful tool in the toolbox of a product manager. It helps you to make fast decisions and staying on the right track. While the outcome of a product vision is pretty short — it may result in a few sentences — the process towards this can be very enlightening.

Heilmeier’s Catechism

Many methodologies in modern it product management have it’s origin in the past as this set of questions credited to George H. Heilmeier. Read the questions that everyone who is working on product development or research should be able to answer (no worries if you don’t — we’ll come to this).

The Product Vision Board

The product vision board is a blueprint for creating a product vision. It makes the process of a product vision definition easy and managebale. Some of the questions asked in the board will referr to Heilmeier’s catechism. Try to understand of what the elements the product vision board are and what they mean.

Product Visions in Flexible Environments

Some people may say that strong product visions may not suit into an agile development environment and try to pivot the vision (if exists) as soon as the first barrier comes up. Make your own decision by reading this article.

Create a Product Vision for the Company you are Working in

It’s time to get the hands dirty. Try to define a product vision for the company you are working in or for a company where you say the have a particularly cool product. It maybe in the form of a product vision board or as some set of sentences.

Using the Product Vision Statement

Ok, let’s see what we got after the work with the product vision. Take out some features you’re planning to work or that have been developed by the comanpy you made the statement for and try to assess if and how the freatures contribute to the product vision.