The Collaborative Product vision activity encourages the team to work together for defining the product vision. The result of this activity is a shared product vision written by the whole team, thus, bringing the team together from the early stages, such as defining the vision.
Running te activity
1. Write the product vision template on the whiteboard (or a common canvas)
For (target customer)
Who (statement of the need or opportunity)
The (product name) is a (product category)
That (key benefit, compelling reason to buy)
Unlike (primary competitive alternative)
Our product (statement of primary differentiation)
2. Divide the team into smaller groups (two or three people recommended)
3. Distribute the blankets for the product vision template amongst the smaller groups
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| sample collaborative product vision canvas – distributing the blankets |
The photo above shows this activity being executed for four smaller groups. Each group was identified by a number (from 1 to 4). Small yellow post-its (with the group number) assigns blankets to the groups. Each group was given a different post-it color (photo below).
4. Ask the smaller groups to fill the blankets on post-it and place on the whiteboard (or canvas)
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| sample collaborative product vision – filling the blankets |
5. Collect the result for all groups. This should form a single sentence (this sentence will be very disjoint and cumbersome).
6. Rewrite the whole sentence. Everyone should be actively involved on it. Especially that everyone wrote some part of it.
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| sample collaborative product vision – rewrite |
The product vision model comes from Geoffrey Moore’s book Crossing the Chasm.
Everyone on the team should be able to explain the product vision in one sentence. The ultimate test for it is when a team member is asked on a elevator: So, what is your product about? (The product vision template is also known as the elevator pitch).