Vision

What it is

• The product manager's view of a future state
• A statement of this ideal destination
• Focused on the person you are serving
• Something that makes the world (or the world of the person you serve) a better place
• Infinite in nature -- that is, you may always strive for this ideal; even if you can get to the ideal state for a time, there is probably a propensity to fall out of it.
• A north star -- something that always shows you the direction you should be going
• Inspires and creates a movement -- for the people you serve, the market, and the people you lead

Why it's important

• Gives the product, you and everyone else clear purpose and direction
• Helps in guiding strategy, research, scope, and prioritization
• Ensures that you are driven by lasting principles rather than vanity metrics

When you need it

• When you're taking over a product, you'll need to create/update it
• In the creation of product strategy (identification of problems, policies, action)
• Creating KPIs for measuring whether you're moving toward the ideal
• When you communicate with anyone about your product (research, roadmap, etc.)
• Working with product marketing to create training, messaging, content, etc.
• Every year, you should validate and/or refresh it
• Alignment and prioritization of roadmap, scoping features, etc.

How to get it

• Empathy. You need to understand the people you serve, their context, their challenges and their goals. Do this through demographic studies, interviews and contextual inquiry.
• Company vision. Dive into the history, purpose and direction of the company. If there is a stated vision (like "survive and thrive"), you will need to explore where that came from and how that aligns with the other research you've done.
• Higher-level product vision. If there is a higher level product vision, you will need to comprehend that product vision first (including the background) and compare it to what you learn from your other research.
• Be creative and visionary. As you immerse yourself in the research, you must intuit your purpose and north star. You will know it when you come to it because it will match the obstacles and objectives of the people you serve, it will align with the company and overarching product vision, and it will resonate with everyone involved.
• Validate and evangelize. Once you have the embryo of your vision, draft something that communicates the context and the dream. Share it with the people the vision is focused on, as well as internal stakeholders (execs, product leaders, leaders from other areas in the company) and measure how well it resonates. Stick with your findings, but don't be too stubborn -- be open to the need for adjustment.

Examples

• "I Have a Dream" -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The Greatest Showman -- people are fascinated with the exotic and the macabre; "the noblest art is that of making others happy."
• Google: "to provide access to the world's information in one click."
• Apple (under Steve Jobs): "To make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind."
• Amazon: "to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online."
• Tesla: "To accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy."
• BambooHR: "Set people free to do great work."
• Drawing a line -- The Three Amigos
• We Are Marshall

Resources

• Start with Why

The competency

A product manager must be able to create a vision out of a myriad of inputs. You have to be able to see something that is not there -- something new and inspiring to you and others, and which resonates in the target market.

Outputs and deliverables

A north star that comes from compelling research, which you are passionate about, that is meaningful, that aligns with the overarching product/company vision/mission and that inspires others -- internally and externally. This should be reviewed, revised (as needed), and validated annually.

• Synthesis of research. Must be done at least annually, but should be ongoing. Must include (but is not limited to) stakeholder interviews, market research (landscape, literature, trends, etc.), usage/usability data, business data (revenue, conversion, NPS, etc.), sales and support records, customer feedback, contextual/on-site visits.
• A deck that articulates the people we serve, the problem (including research around it) and the conceptual solution. A vision statement should cover these bases:
  • Mission / "I have a dream". There should be a clear statement of what the future looks like -- something striking, resonating, compelling and inspiring. This must be derived from and validated by the research.
  • Why, How, What. A statement of what we're passionate about in the domain of the product, the product principles, and the scope of the product. This must roll up to the overarching product vision.
• A method for quantifiably measuring our progress toward the ideal state
• A visualization of the complete scope (either as a concept, planned design, or existing solution)

Outcomes

• Quantifiable (and significant) validation from the target market
• Internal alignment in terms of understanding and resonance
• Significant quantifiable market validation of the designed solution
• Data to show that we are actually solving the problem