Any phase · Craft
Write a product vision
A product vision describes the future you want to create for users, typically three to five years out. It helps teams make good decisions without being told what to do.
About 2-5 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Strategy and visionCommunication and influence
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- Intermediate (1 to 4 years)Experienced (5+ years)
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Describe the users and the problem in their words.
- Describe what their life looks like when the product succeeds.
- Keep it short enough to remember.
- Test it with your team and some users.
- Use it to explain decisions.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Ground the vision in research about users and market trends.
- Write it from the user's point of view, three to five years out.
- Make it inspiring but believable, and test it with the team and leaders.
- Use it to check whether roadmap items move you towards it.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Create a vision that connects several teams' work into one story.
- Use a narrative or prototype of the future to make it concrete.
- Keep the vision stable while letting strategy change.
- Revisit it each year with fresh evidence.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- UX Designer: Create a visual or prototype of the future experience
- User Researcher: Supply research on user needs and trends
Reviewed by: UX Designer, Tech Lead
Tool examples
- Figma
- Mock up a 'day in the life' of a user in the future.
- Google Docs
- Write a one-page vision narrative.
- Claude
- Ask it to challenge your vision: which assumptions would have to be true?
Definition of done
- Vision written from the user's point of view
- Tested with team and leaders
- Used to explain roadmap decisions
Common pitfalls
- Writing a list of features
- So vague it guides nothing
- Changing it every quarter