The Only Product Vision Template You’ll Ever Need
What is a product vision?
It’s the cornerstone of your product strategy. It informs your roadmap, which informs your daily decisions as a product team. But it’s something we don’t always get right – the biggest mistake we see product managers make when defining their product vision, is that it becomes so lofty and intangible that it’s ultimately meaningless.
Where’s the best place to start?
There are a surprising number of moving parts to an effective product vision. A good product vision captures who the customer is, who the user is, and the value proposition and clearly links back to company objectives. In other words, it’s clear, specific and doesn’t lend itself to multiple interpretations.
Down the line when you’re get pushback on a feature you’re advocating for, you can smugly point to the product vision that you painstakingly crafted back at the start.
So don’t jet through this. Create something that will carry you through great product decisions every day and support you when you need it.
In the meantime, use this template to help structure to your product vision statement.
The Product Vision Template
First, make sure that your key stakeholders are in the room so you can work through the following structure together. It really is as simple as filling in the blanks.
Create your own vision with ProdPad’s interactive product vision template.
Test your vision statement with the ol’ elevator pitch
If you can’t pitch what you have in 30 seconds, your vision isn’t ready for the outside world. Try again.
Originally from Crossing the Chasm, by Geoffrey Moore, where it was introduced as an elevator pitch template. This exercise and many others appear in the Handy Guide for Product People. Try ProdPad for free or tweet us to get your very own copy in the mail!
Looking for more PM advice? Try our product management blog or our really useful guides for more top tips.
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14 thoughts on "The Only Product Vision Template You’ll Ever Need"
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Where can we download the template?
Hey Sid, we’re working on making this available as a download 🙂 For now though, you’ll just have to grab a screenshot of what’s above or save the image. Hope it helps!
Stolen straight from “Crossing The Chasm” by Geoffrey Moore – although described there as a template for an Elevator Pitch…
They do say that plagiarism is the best form of compliment – and Crossing the Chasm is a MOST excellent book – highly recommended for any Product Manager.
At least you could reference the source…
Yikes, you’re right! Thanks for letting me know the source. This was just one of those things I was taught years ago on the job, and I carried with me over the years (and obviously found a slightly different use for it). I’ve never read Crossing the Chasm, but have had it on my (neverending) list to read for a long time… will bump it up and get to it sooner now 😉
In the meantime, I’ve added attribution where it’s very much due!
Well done Janna. Credit where credit is due – to Mr. Moore, and to you.
Great article, thanks Janna.
Question, if you have multiple user groups/types for your product, both internal users and external customers, do you think you need to create a separate vision statement for each?
Multiple user groups often require different products in order to address their individual needs therefore requiring separate vision statements? If so, how would you communicate the combined vision that the business can address the needs of all users?
Curious how you approach this.
I too would like to see your approach on this!
This is insightful, Janna.
I haven’t read the book “Crossing The Chasm” by Geoffrey Moore yet but could you explain the difference between ‘FOR’ and ‘WHO’ a bit more?
Sure thing! The For statement is about the target market, eg. For product managers, For new moms, For car owners, etc. The Who statement is about their needs or desires, eg. Who want to understand reams of data better, Who want privacy, Who want peace of mind that they have done the right things.
Obviously the more specific you can be about YOUR target market and THEIR needs to be met, the better, as this means your less likely to be crashing into a competitor who’s building towards the exact same thing. This is where lots of customer discovery work comes in handy 🙂