How to Write a Product Vision Statement

Reviewed by Bernie Maloney

Think about developing a product without knowing who it's for or what it's supposed to do. How do you know where to start, what functionalities to add, or the overall purpose of the product? Getting clear on these things upfront provides context for development and an overarching objective around which to build goals.

A product vision is not formally part of the scrum process but can be used as a foundation to help product owners create product goals with their customers and stakeholders.

What's a Product Vision Statement?

A product vision statement focuses on the product. Products can be applications, software, goods, or services. They deliver value to the market by solving a problem or fulfilling a need.

A product vision, then, goes on to explain the purpose behind a product, who it's for, what need it satisfies or problem it solves, and what it does. The vision clarifies to the developers why the product is being made and establishes the long-term goals desired.

The product vision statement concisely summarizes the product vision in one or a few sentences, giving the team their primary focus during discovery and development. An effective product vision statement helps provide developers with context and a clear point of view for the future state of the product.

As development progresses, it guides decision-making and inspires innovation by focusing on the purpose of the product and how to improve it throughout its lifecycle. To keep the product vision statement in mind, some teams may create a product vision board to display in a shared workplace area or a digital version they can regularly view.

Is It the Same as a Product Goal?

While a product vision and product goal both provide direction and something to work toward, they differ in how they relate to the future of the product and the way to get there.

The following applies to a product vision:

• Long-term
• Always evolving
• A description of the future state of the product or experience
• It may not ever be reached

And product goals are:

• Mid-term to long-term
• Tangible future states of the product or experience
• Targets for the team to plan against

There could be several product goals the team pursues on the path to achieving the vision. The product goals are the concrete objectives on the way to fulfilling the vision (which could ultimately change if conditions require).

How to Write a Product Vision Statement

There are many ways to write a product vision statement. Some teams simply use an aspirational phrase to express their vision:

By creating safer roads in our cities, we believe more children who travel to school as pedestrians will arrive safely every day could be the vision statement of a pedestrian safety organization or a city planning department.

By providing one-of-a-kind outfit recommendations on our personalized app, we believe we can help Americans of all body types feel more confident in their daily lives could be the vision statement for an app and website that sells monthly subscriptions for curated clothing.

Here are a couple templates you can use to write a product vision statement:

1. A hypothesis statement: We believe that by doing X for customer Y, we'll create outcome Z
2. For customer [persona V], product [name W], will help them [job to be done or primary goal X], (optionally [in context or with differentiator Y]), so that [impact Z]

Other optional criteria would be adding metrics for measuring progress. It doesn't have to be part of the statement itself but including metrics in the details could help teams understand how stakeholders or product owners will be measuring progress.

Product vision statements should be concise, capturing the essence of the product's purpose and inspiring the developers' work to meet that vision. In comparison, product goals serve as concrete direction for the scrum team—direction that is consistent with the inspirational vision.

Examples of Good Product Vision Statements

Here are more examples of product vision statements:

Empower teams worldwide to collaborate effortlessly, increase productivity, and deliver exceptional results by providing the most intuitive and comprehensive project management platform available, making work both efficient and enjoyable.

Our application will allow users to get started for free but have increased features in payment tiers based on the number of users. We will adapt to user feedback to become the market's most widely used project management app.

Another example:

Our e-learning platform transforms the way the world learns by providing a personalized, accessible, and engaging learning experience for learners of all ages and backgrounds, empowering them to unlock their full potential and shape a brighter future. 

Generate revenue through tuition for classes while providing students with quality programs and education. The long-term goal is to have a broad scope of courses on all subjects, offer hands-on, in-person training if needed, and help graduates find work.

Examples of Bad Product Vision Statements

Our product is new software that helps people with various tasks and other to-do items.

This product vision statement is problematic for several reasons:

• Lack of Specificity: It needs more specificity and clarity, failing to clearly define the product and what it does.
• Vagueness: It uses vague language like "various tasks" which provides no concrete information about the product's purpose or value.
• Lack of Inspiration: It needs to have the inspirational and motivating qualities a good product vision should possess.
• Ambiguity: It doesn't mention the target audience, the problem it solves, or the unique value it offers.
• Directionless: It provides no guidance or direction for the product development team or stakeholders.

A good product vision statement should be clear, inspiring, and purpose-driven, whereas this example falls short. It's essential for a product vision to guide and inspire the team and stakeholders to work toward a common goal.

Here's another example of a bad one:

We want to make some money by selling a product online.

This product vision statement is problematic for several reasons:

• Lack of Purpose: It lacks a clear sense of purpose or a vision beyond making money, a common goal for any business, but should not be the sole focus of a product vision statement.
• No Value Proposition: It doesn't mention what the product is or how it benefits customers, making it unclear why anyone would want to buy it.
• Lack of Inspiration: It doesn't inspire or motivate the team or stakeholders with a compelling vision for the product.
• Short-Term Focus: The statement focuses on immediate financial gain rather than long-term product success and customer value.
• Lack of Direction: It provides no strategic direction or guidance for developing and marketing the product.

A strong product vision statement should go beyond financial objectives and clearly articulate the product's purpose, value, and broader impact on customers and the market. It should inspire and guide the team toward a common goal beyond simply making money.

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