Product Discovery

A meaningful Product Vision

In order to work long-term, the product vision and mission need to be rooted in a deep understanding of the business and its purpose, the customers and their needs and the market and potential competitors.

Understanding of the business

Understanding the purpose of the business and what the world will look like if you succeed

Understanding of the customer

Understanding current and future customer and user needs and what they experience as value

Understanding  of the market

Understanding the market and potential customers, as well as what your unique selling points are

What makes a good North Star?

It expresses value

We can see why it matters to customers

It’s actionable

We can take action to influence it

It’s not a vanity metric

We can be confident that the change is meaningful and valuable

It’s a leading indicator of success

It predicts future results, rather than reflecting past results

It’s understandable

Language that non-technical partners can understand

It represents vision and strategy

Our company’s product and business strategy are reflected in it

It’s measurable

We can instrument our product to track it

Create your Product Vision

The Product Vision Sprint helps teams define their product vision, mission and strategic narrative, which in turn helps them create a meaningful product strategy and work towards a common goal.

Emphasising and enhancing your company's overall efforts to improve your North Star Metric is essential for promoting long-term and stable growth within your company.

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This framework helps product teams address crucial inquiries, such as: How can we improve the value delivered to customers while increasing revenue? How does our daily work correlate with real impact? How can we be confident that we are prioritising the right initiatives? How can our teams overcome division and attain harmony?

Understand, Define, Validate

1h alignment, team preparation, 1 day workshop

Company Leadership, Product Management, Customer Success, Senior Sales rep., Senior Marketing rep., Senior Support rep., UX Lead, Product team

Before

1. Understand. Before you dive in, learn more about Product Vision from Product Talk.

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2. Prepare and align. A Product Vision Sprint is best to run with participants from several different departments in your company. Which individuals do you think have opinions that would contribute to an interesting discussion? Make sure that your prospective participants know they are in for a high-level discussion about vision, strategy and customer value. ‍

‍

3. Settle on participants and get commitment. Participating in a Product Vision Sprint requires concentration and a mental effort. If several participants are missing from the workshop, discussion will be impaired and the value of the workshop reduced. Of course, urgent phone calls can be answered, but we strongly recommend participants to prioritise the workshop over daily matters.‍

‍

4. Do the preparation work. Before the workshop, there are a few preparations you need to do as a team to make sure that everyone has a good understanding of the company vision and mission, current customer feedback and current competitive landscape. In addition, we also recommend doing 5 customer interviews using the strategic narrative framework. We recommend using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order.

During

5. Follow the schedule of the Product Vision Sprint, for instance using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order. some text

‍Go through the preparation work. During the first day, spend some time in the beginning to recap the preparation work, and note down any questions and opportunities that arise from the walkthrough.‍
Visualise the Strategic Narrative. Based on what you learnt in your customer interviews, take some time to visualise the strategic narrative in a slide deck. ‍
Ideate on your Mission Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your mission statement as a team. ‍
Ideate on Vision Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your vision statement as a team.

‍

At the end of the workshop, teams are expected to have achieved alignment regarding the current state of the company and product. They are also expected to have created a slide deck with a new strategic narrative, mission and vision statements which can be validated with stakeholder and leadership, and later communicated to all team members working on the product. Note that these are first versions, and that they might be tweaked over time.

After

6. Validate with stakeholders and leadership. Once you have settled on a new product vision, mission and strategic narrative, it is time to verify with stakeholders and get approval from leadership. ‍

‍

7. Communicate to teams. The Product Vision is meant to be useful for all team members. Talk about the product vision, mission and strategic narrative. Refer to your product vision in sprint plannings. Make sure everyone feels inspired to work towards the vision.‍

‍

8. Follow up. Regularly organise check-ins where team members can reflect on the work they are doing and how it contributes to the product vision and mission.

‍

Tips

How do I know whether my team is ready for a Product Vision Sprint?some text
- Your team should have an understanding of how a Product Vision can help them work towards a common goal.
How can I make sure that we get the most out of our workshop?some text
- Ensure that your participants are committed.
- Find participants that have both knowledge and opinions.
- Understand that the workshop is not the final step, but the first step of unlocking the potential of a meaningful product vision.
What are some common pitfalls that can cause confusion or disagreement?some text
- Lack of alignment around the current state of customer feedback and competitive market.
- Not approaching the discussion from the perspectives of customer value.

Learn more

Define a Clear Product Vision (article) - Product Talk‍
Product Vision vs. Mission (article) - Silicon Valley Product Group

Before

1. Understand. Before you dive in, learn more about Product Vision from Product Talk.

‍

2. Prepare and align. A Product Vision Sprint is best to run with participants from several different departments in your company. Which individuals do you think have opinions that would contribute to an interesting discussion? Make sure that your prospective participants know they are in for a high-level discussion about vision, strategy and customer value. ‍

‍

3. Settle on participants and get commitment. Participating in a Product Vision Sprint requires concentration and a mental effort. If several participants are missing from the workshop, discussion will be impaired and the value of the workshop reduced. Of course, urgent phone calls can be answered, but we strongly recommend participants to prioritise the workshop over daily matters.‍

‍

4. Do the preparation work. Before the workshop, there are a few preparations you need to do as a team to make sure that everyone has a good understanding of the company vision and mission, current customer feedback and current competitive landscape. In addition, we also recommend doing 5 customer interviews using the strategic narrative framework. We recommend using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order.

During

5. Follow the schedule of the Product Vision Sprint, for instance using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order. some text

‍Go through the preparation work. During the first day, spend some time in the beginning to recap the preparation work, and note down any questions and opportunities that arise from the walkthrough.‍
Visualise the Strategic Narrative. Based on what you learnt in your customer interviews, take some time to visualise the strategic narrative in a slide deck. ‍
Ideate on your Mission Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your mission statement as a team. ‍
Ideate on Vision Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your vision statement as a team.

‍

At the end of the workshop, teams are expected to have achieved alignment regarding the current state of the company and product. They are also expected to have created a slide deck with a new strategic narrative, mission and vision statements which can be validated with stakeholder and leadership, and later communicated to all team members working on the product. Note that these are first versions, and that they might be tweaked over time.

After

6. Validate with stakeholders and leadership. Once you have settled on a new product vision, mission and strategic narrative, it is time to verify with stakeholders and get approval from leadership. ‍

‍

7. Communicate to teams. The Product Vision is meant to be useful for all team members. Talk about the product vision, mission and strategic narrative. Refer to your product vision in sprint plannings. Make sure everyone feels inspired to work towards the vision.‍

‍

8. Follow up. Regularly organise check-ins where team members can reflect on the work they are doing and how it contributes to the product vision and mission.

‍

Tips

How do I know whether my team is ready for a Product Vision Sprint?some text
- Your team should have an understanding of how a Product Vision can help them work towards a common goal.
How can I make sure that we get the most out of our workshop?some text
- Ensure that your participants are committed.
- Find participants that have both knowledge and opinions.
- Understand that the workshop is not the final step, but the first step of unlocking the potential of a meaningful product vision.
What are some common pitfalls that can cause confusion or disagreement?some text
- Lack of alignment around the current state of customer feedback and competitive market.
- Not approaching the discussion from the perspectives of customer value.

Learn more

Define a Clear Product Vision (article) - Product Talk‍
Product Vision vs. Mission (article) - Silicon Valley Product Group

Before

1. Understand. Before you dive in, learn more about Product Vision from Product Talk.

‍

2. Prepare and align. A Product Vision Sprint is best to run with participants from several different departments in your company. Which individuals do you think have opinions that would contribute to an interesting discussion? Make sure that your prospective participants know they are in for a high-level discussion about vision, strategy and customer value. ‍

‍

3. Settle on participants and get commitment. Participating in a Product Vision Sprint requires concentration and a mental effort. If several participants are missing from the workshop, discussion will be impaired and the value of the workshop reduced. Of course, urgent phone calls can be answered, but we strongly recommend participants to prioritise the workshop over daily matters.‍

‍

4. Do the preparation work. Before the workshop, there are a few preparations you need to do as a team to make sure that everyone has a good understanding of the company vision and mission, current customer feedback and current competitive landscape. In addition, we also recommend doing 5 customer interviews using the strategic narrative framework. We recommend using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order.

During

5. Follow the schedule of the Product Vision Sprint, for instance using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order. some text

‍Go through the preparation work. During the first day, spend some time in the beginning to recap the preparation work, and note down any questions and opportunities that arise from the walkthrough.‍
Visualise the Strategic Narrative. Based on what you learnt in your customer interviews, take some time to visualise the strategic narrative in a slide deck. ‍
Ideate on your Mission Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your mission statement as a team. ‍
Ideate on Vision Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your vision statement as a team.

‍

At the end of the workshop, teams are expected to have achieved alignment regarding the current state of the company and product. They are also expected to have created a slide deck with a new strategic narrative, mission and vision statements which can be validated with stakeholder and leadership, and later communicated to all team members working on the product. Note that these are first versions, and that they might be tweaked over time.

After

6. Validate with stakeholders and leadership. Once you have settled on a new product vision, mission and strategic narrative, it is time to verify with stakeholders and get approval from leadership. ‍

‍

7. Communicate to teams. The Product Vision is meant to be useful for all team members. Talk about the product vision, mission and strategic narrative. Refer to your product vision in sprint plannings. Make sure everyone feels inspired to work towards the vision.‍

‍

8. Follow up. Regularly organise check-ins where team members can reflect on the work they are doing and how it contributes to the product vision and mission.

‍

Tips

How do I know whether my team is ready for a Product Vision Sprint?some text
- Your team should have an understanding of how a Product Vision can help them work towards a common goal.
How can I make sure that we get the most out of our workshop?some text
- Ensure that your participants are committed.
- Find participants that have both knowledge and opinions.
- Understand that the workshop is not the final step, but the first step of unlocking the potential of a meaningful product vision.
What are some common pitfalls that can cause confusion or disagreement?some text
- Lack of alignment around the current state of customer feedback and competitive market.
- Not approaching the discussion from the perspectives of customer value.

Learn more

Define a Clear Product Vision (article) - Product Talk‍
Product Vision vs. Mission (article) - Silicon Valley Product Group

Before

1. Understand. Before you dive in, learn more about Product Vision from Product Talk.

‍

2. Prepare and align. A Product Vision Sprint is best to run with participants from several different departments in your company. Which individuals do you think have opinions that would contribute to an interesting discussion? Make sure that your prospective participants know they are in for a high-level discussion about vision, strategy and customer value. ‍

‍

3. Settle on participants and get commitment. Participating in a Product Vision Sprint requires concentration and a mental effort. If several participants are missing from the workshop, discussion will be impaired and the value of the workshop reduced. Of course, urgent phone calls can be answered, but we strongly recommend participants to prioritise the workshop over daily matters.‍

‍

4. Do the preparation work. Before the workshop, there are a few preparations you need to do as a team to make sure that everyone has a good understanding of the company vision and mission, current customer feedback and current competitive landscape. In addition, we also recommend doing 5 customer interviews using the strategic narrative framework. We recommend using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order.

During

5. Follow the schedule of the Product Vision Sprint, for instance using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order. some text

‍Go through the preparation work. During the first day, spend some time in the beginning to recap the preparation work, and note down any questions and opportunities that arise from the walkthrough.‍
Visualise the Strategic Narrative. Based on what you learnt in your customer interviews, take some time to visualise the strategic narrative in a slide deck. ‍
Ideate on your Mission Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your mission statement as a team. ‍
Ideate on Vision Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your vision statement as a team.

‍

At the end of the workshop, teams are expected to have achieved alignment regarding the current state of the company and product. They are also expected to have created a slide deck with a new strategic narrative, mission and vision statements which can be validated with stakeholder and leadership, and later communicated to all team members working on the product. Note that these are first versions, and that they might be tweaked over time.

After

6. Validate with stakeholders and leadership. Once you have settled on a new product vision, mission and strategic narrative, it is time to verify with stakeholders and get approval from leadership. ‍

‍

7. Communicate to teams. The Product Vision is meant to be useful for all team members. Talk about the product vision, mission and strategic narrative. Refer to your product vision in sprint plannings. Make sure everyone feels inspired to work towards the vision.‍

‍

8. Follow up. Regularly organise check-ins where team members can reflect on the work they are doing and how it contributes to the product vision and mission.

‍

Tips

How do I know whether my team is ready for a Product Vision Sprint?some text
- Your team should have an understanding of how a Product Vision can help them work towards a common goal.
How can I make sure that we get the most out of our workshop?some text
- Ensure that your participants are committed.
- Find participants that have both knowledge and opinions.
- Understand that the workshop is not the final step, but the first step of unlocking the potential of a meaningful product vision.
What are some common pitfalls that can cause confusion or disagreement?some text
- Lack of alignment around the current state of customer feedback and competitive market.
- Not approaching the discussion from the perspectives of customer value.

Learn more

Define a Clear Product Vision (article) - Product Talk‍
Product Vision vs. Mission (article) - Silicon Valley Product Group

Before

1. Understand. Before you dive in, learn more about Product Vision from Product Talk.

‍

2. Prepare and align. A Product Vision Sprint is best to run with participants from several different departments in your company. Which individuals do you think have opinions that would contribute to an interesting discussion? Make sure that your prospective participants know they are in for a high-level discussion about vision, strategy and customer value. ‍

‍

3. Settle on participants and get commitment. Participating in a Product Vision Sprint requires concentration and a mental effort. If several participants are missing from the workshop, discussion will be impaired and the value of the workshop reduced. Of course, urgent phone calls can be answered, but we strongly recommend participants to prioritise the workshop over daily matters.‍

‍

4. Do the preparation work. Before the workshop, there are a few preparations you need to do as a team to make sure that everyone has a good understanding of the company vision and mission, current customer feedback and current competitive landscape. In addition, we also recommend doing 5 customer interviews using the strategic narrative framework. We recommend using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order.

During

5. Follow the schedule of the Product Vision Sprint, for instance using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order. some text

‍Go through the preparation work. During the first day, spend some time in the beginning to recap the preparation work, and note down any questions and opportunities that arise from the walkthrough.‍
Visualise the Strategic Narrative. Based on what you learnt in your customer interviews, take some time to visualise the strategic narrative in a slide deck. ‍
Ideate on your Mission Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your mission statement as a team. ‍
Ideate on Vision Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your vision statement as a team.

‍

At the end of the workshop, teams are expected to have achieved alignment regarding the current state of the company and product. They are also expected to have created a slide deck with a new strategic narrative, mission and vision statements which can be validated with stakeholder and leadership, and later communicated to all team members working on the product. Note that these are first versions, and that they might be tweaked over time.

After

6. Validate with stakeholders and leadership. Once you have settled on a new product vision, mission and strategic narrative, it is time to verify with stakeholders and get approval from leadership. ‍

‍

7. Communicate to teams. The Product Vision is meant to be useful for all team members. Talk about the product vision, mission and strategic narrative. Refer to your product vision in sprint plannings. Make sure everyone feels inspired to work towards the vision.‍

‍

8. Follow up. Regularly organise check-ins where team members can reflect on the work they are doing and how it contributes to the product vision and mission.

‍

Tips

How do I know whether my team is ready for a Product Vision Sprint?some text
- Your team should have an understanding of how a Product Vision can help them work towards a common goal.
How can I make sure that we get the most out of our workshop?some text
- Ensure that your participants are committed.
- Find participants that have both knowledge and opinions.
- Understand that the workshop is not the final step, but the first step of unlocking the potential of a meaningful product vision.
What are some common pitfalls that can cause confusion or disagreement?some text
- Lack of alignment around the current state of customer feedback and competitive market.
- Not approaching the discussion from the perspectives of customer value.

Learn more

Define a Clear Product Vision (article) - Product Talk‍
Product Vision vs. Mission (article) - Silicon Valley Product Group

Before

1. Understand. Before you dive in, learn more about Product Vision from Product Talk.

‍

2. Prepare and align. A Product Vision Sprint is best to run with participants from several different departments in your company. Which individuals do you think have opinions that would contribute to an interesting discussion? Make sure that your prospective participants know they are in for a high-level discussion about vision, strategy and customer value. ‍

‍

3. Settle on participants and get commitment. Participating in a Product Vision Sprint requires concentration and a mental effort. If several participants are missing from the workshop, discussion will be impaired and the value of the workshop reduced. Of course, urgent phone calls can be answered, but we strongly recommend participants to prioritise the workshop over daily matters.‍

‍

4. Do the preparation work. Before the workshop, there are a few preparations you need to do as a team to make sure that everyone has a good understanding of the company vision and mission, current customer feedback and current competitive landscape. In addition, we also recommend doing 5 customer interviews using the strategic narrative framework. We recommend using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order.

During

5. Follow the schedule of the Product Vision Sprint, for instance using our Mural template which contains all the recommended exercises and needed templates in chronological order. some text

‍Go through the preparation work. During the first day, spend some time in the beginning to recap the preparation work, and note down any questions and opportunities that arise from the walkthrough.‍
Visualise the Strategic Narrative. Based on what you learnt in your customer interviews, take some time to visualise the strategic narrative in a slide deck. ‍
Ideate on your Mission Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your mission statement as a team. ‍
Ideate on Vision Statement. Go through the exercises to ideate, vote and define your vision statement as a team.

‍

At the end of the workshop, teams are expected to have achieved alignment regarding the current state of the company and product. They are also expected to have created a slide deck with a new strategic narrative, mission and vision statements which can be validated with stakeholder and leadership, and later communicated to all team members working on the product. Note that these are first versions, and that they might be tweaked over time.

After

6. Validate with stakeholders and leadership. Once you have settled on a new product vision, mission and strategic narrative, it is time to verify with stakeholders and get approval from leadership. ‍

‍

7. Communicate to teams. The Product Vision is meant to be useful for all team members. Talk about the product vision, mission and strategic narrative. Refer to your product vision in sprint plannings. Make sure everyone feels inspired to work towards the vision.‍

‍

8. Follow up. Regularly organise check-ins where team members can reflect on the work they are doing and how it contributes to the product vision and mission.

‍

Tips

How do I know whether my team is ready for a Product Vision Sprint?some text
- Your team should have an understanding of how a Product Vision can help them work towards a common goal.
How can I make sure that we get the most out of our workshop?some text
- Ensure that your participants are committed.
- Find participants that have both knowledge and opinions.
- Understand that the workshop is not the final step, but the first step of unlocking the potential of a meaningful product vision.
What are some common pitfalls that can cause confusion or disagreement?some text
- Lack of alignment around the current state of customer feedback and competitive market.
- Not approaching the discussion from the perspectives of customer value.

Learn more

Define a Clear Product Vision (article) - Product Talk‍
Product Vision vs. Mission (article) - Silicon Valley Product Group

Templates

For every workshop facilitated with Visma companies, the templates used by the Product Discovery team are continuously improved upon. Whether you want to facilitate your own Product Vision Sprint, or just learn more about what a workshop facilitated by us could look like, these are the templates we recommend you to take a look at.

Product Vision board

Use this template on Mural to facilitate a Product Vision Sprint.

Product Vision Plan

Product Strategy 1-pager

Strategic Narrative Interview Guide

Visual Strategic Narrative

Tool recommendations

Ultimately, the choice of design tool depends on the specific needs of the designer and the project at hand. Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, and designers must consider factors such as cost, ease of use, and collaboration features when selecting the best tool for their needs.

Mural

Mural offers both a shared workspace and training, a practical way to collaborate that anyone can learn and apply.

Google Docs

Create, and collaborate on online documents. Edit together with secure sharing in real-time and from any device.

Google Meet

Real-time meetings using your browser, share your video, desktop, and presentations with teammates and customers.

Google Slides

Create stunning presentations with Google Slides. Discover slide templates for every use case.

Success stories

Knowledge is meant to be shared. Explore the cards below to learn more about how companies around Visma have leveraged their teams to work better with turning data into insights.

Design Sprint

How to win a €3.2 million deal without writing a single line of code

Design Sprint

From Mockup to pNPS UP in Visma Recruit

Design Sprint

The fundamentals of

Product Vision and Mission

Sign up for a

Product Vision Sprint

A meaningful Product Vision

Understanding of the business

Understanding of the customer

Understanding of the market

Design Sprint achievements

400 kEUR ARR

Product

Problem to solve

Process

Full story

+20 pNPS

Product

Problem to solve

Process

Full story

+3 customers

Product

Problem to solve

Process

Full story

What makes a good North Star?

Create your Product Vision

Before

During

After

Tips

Learn more

Before

During

After

Tips

Learn more

Before

During

After

Tips

Learn more

Before

During

After

Tips

Learn more

Before

During

After

Tips

Learn more

Before

During

After

Tips

Learn more

Templates

Product Vision board

Tool recommendations

Mural

Google Docs

Google Meet

Google Slides

Sign up for a

Product Vision Sprint

Success stories

How to win a €3.2 million deal without writing a single line of code

From Mockup to pNPS UP in Visma Recruit

How to drive innovation and transform a team in 4 days

product.discovery@visma.com

 Product Vision and Mission

Understanding  of the market