(2014-01-09) Torres What You Should Clarify And Communicate As A Product Leader

Teresa Torres: What You Should Clarify and Communicate as a Product Leader. I want to take a closer look at what I mean by a clear vision.

1. An Inspiring Vision Statement

2. A Strong Mission Statement

A vision statement clarifies the where and why, a mission statement clarifies the who, what, and how

Unlike your vision, your mission is much more likely to evolve over time

3. Core Values That Differentiate

4. Know Your Audience Better Than Anyone Else

5. Define Explicit Guiding Principles

Guiding principles are the beliefs that the company holds to be true. They are the assumptions that everyone makes to keep moving the product forward.

6. Be Clear About Your User Experience Metaphors

7. Define What You Would Never Do

8. Outline a Business Model

Are you able to outline a business model that is consistent with the other components of your vision?

9. Know What Success Looks Like and How You’ll Measure It

It can be hard to find a true measure of success. it’s easy to fall back to page views, new registrations, dollars spent. Don’t. This is one of the most important components of your vision. Figure out how to measure it and focus on it relentlessly.

Wrapping It Up

Shouldn’t the founders be defining the vision, the mission, the core values? Absolutely. However, if they aren’t, you will struggle to create a great product.