Understand the Significance of Having the Product Vision in a Scrum Team
In the article given below we’ll be discussing an important topic that’s “Understand the Importance of having the product Vision in a Scrum Team” let’s discuss it in detail:
There are countless stories of products launched with much fanfare and still failing miserably in the market. What does it actually take to build a software product that sells? Would the best technology, the best architecture and also the best brains guarantee a product which will sell?
The Engineering teams spend a lot of energy on building the product right, scalable, bug-free, secure as well as reliable. Throughout this journey the teams also ought to be confident that they’re building the right product – usable (fit for use), serves the aim (fit for purpose), solves the customer’s problem and delivers value.
Furthermore, a Product Vision is a well thought through “future state” of the product that actually serves the customer’s needs and also furthers the corporate’s product strategy. The product vision actually serves as the “guiding light” that the teams constantly refers, consults as well as steers towards.
This article is actually about how a good product vision paves the way for scrum teams so as to create a good product. It is not the sole step but definitely one among the first steps to create a product which will sell.
Components of a Product Vision
A well thought through and finely articulated Product Vision includes the given below components
Purpose and Intent – Why are we really building the product and what value it actually brings to the Customer? What problems is the product really going to solve for the Customer?
Target Market – Who is the Customer(s) / Market Segment that the product is really meant for
Business Goals – By building this product how are really we aligning with the company’s strategy as well as goals in the market. Every product offered by a corporation should align with the larger goals and strategy so that it fits well with the organization’s product portfolio.
Differentiating Factors – How and what features are we offering that’s a differentiator within the market and which sets the organization apart from its competitors.
Many a product fails to see the light of the day or serve the purpose of the customer if it has actually failed to justify on any one or more of the above components.
Creating the Product Vision
Anyone who is actually connected to the product can contribute to the product Vision. Generally organisations have idea boards as well as forums to welcome innovative ideas from all employees.
However the ownership of communication, defining, as well as nourishing the product vision lies with the Business Group or Product Management Group. Usually the vision is made through a Workshop involving the right stakeholders who have the expertise to contribute. Moreover, the stakeholders represent Business, Support, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, Training etc.
Various techniques like Brainstorming, Affinity grouping, Dot Voting are often employed within the workshop to come up with the ultimate Product Vision. Prior to the workshop findings from marketing research on target customers, competitors, information on Personas are made available to the participants so that they’re well informed and bring the best to the table.
Product Vision Formats
The Product Vision board as recommended by the leading Product Management Expert, Roman Pichler.
A Simple template first introduced within the book Crossing the Chasm by management consultant and author Geoffery More.
Communicating the Product Vision
A great Product Vision won’t get realized into the final product unless it’s communicated well, not only once but multiple times, to all the important stakeholders – the Senior Leadership, the Engineering teams, Marketing, Documentation, Sales, Training as well as Support.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the head of the Business (e.g Director of Product Management) to further introduce and also explain the product Vision to the rest of the company before the product development is started. Typically a Kickstart All-Hands meeting happens when a new Product Vision is completely ready. The road map as well as strategy for the immediate future (every Quarter/Release) to actually realize the vision is further shared in this meeting. It is vital that all stakeholders who are participating in building the product gets to hear the exact same information at the same time from the head of Business.
This All-Hands happens at a defined cadence (every Quarter /Release) where the changes to the strategy, product vision as well as road map for the next quarter/release is communicated. Moreover, the Heads of Engineering would also present their plans for the Quarter/Release to further improve the product vision.
It shouldn’t be an open and shut communication for a single day, but the product Managers and Owners ought to constantly refer and draw from the vision when interacting with the Scrum Teams. When requirements are refined into Epics and User Stories and prioritized the Scrum Teams ought to be able to relate them to the Vision.
Changes in the Product Vision
So can a Product Vision written on stone never really change? No, because that might defy Agile Principles of continuously seeking feedback, embracing and adapting change.
A organization for learning has a pulse on the market as well as actively seeks feedback. It actually adapts the product vision according to the changing market, customers feedback as well as competition. Furthermore, it even has a constant sense of Urgency to Fail Fast, has the Courage to Pivot when required as well as Persevere on the right track as part of the Organization culture.
There are stories of multiple organizations that have imbibed and practiced this culture and succeeded.
Significance or importance of Production Vision within the Scrum Teams
A journey without a destination actually sounds exciting however not really practical and not always fruitful. Research and development engineers would not have any dearth of imagination to build products that are beautiful and perfect at the same time. But would these products really serve the customer’s needs?
Understand the Larger Purpose: Scrum teams ought to understand the large picture and the larger purpose of their everyday work – for whom are they building, for what and most significantly why. During Backlog Grooming sessions, the merchandise owners can act as ambassadors for the product Vision helping the teams to refine user stories with end goal in mind. The inquiries to be constantly asked and validated include “Are we solving the customer problem?” , “Are we adding value?”, “Are we building the right product?”
Contribute in Product Strategy as well as Roadmap: Scrum teams can actually contribute effectively to the product strategy as well as roadmap if they know and also understand the product vision.
Understanding the Priorities: Understanding the product vision assists the team to actually identify with the priority that has been put forth by the product Owner. The Product Owner and also the teams can make use of the product vision in the Sprint Planning and Backlog refinement meetings to streamline user stories.
Influence in Sprint Execution: Having the product vision within the back of their minds plays a important role in the story writing, refinement, coding, acceptance criteria as well as testing. Knowing the customer problems and target market further helps teams to build “just enough” and stop from over engineering as well as manufacturing unwanted imaginary requirements. Unwanted code is actually quite a waste that can cause unwanted bugs, testing and absolutely needs to be avoided.
Knowing the target Customer / market, purpose and also the problems that require to be resolved, helps the teams to
Refine and write better Epics and User Stories.
Assists one to identify the ‘Must Have’ and ‘Good to Have’ Acceptance Criteria.
Helps to architect and design better knowing the immediate priority and also the upcoming roadmap.
Assists to code incorporating enough customization for reuse as well as extensions in future.
Define and also formulate the appropriate test scenarios as well as data
Collaboration: Multiple teams come together to create a product. Having a common typical Product Vision to refer to improves their collaboration and serves as a really good point of reference to manage conflicts and dependencies.
Alignment with the Organization’s Goals: there’s also another vital piece of information within the product Vision – How exactly the product Vision aligns to their organization’s overall strategy. This is definitely interesting to each and every employee of the organization. An engaged employee always is interested in how the product he’s helping to build today fits and aligns with the organization’s goals. The fact that he/she is actually contributing towards furthering the Organization’s goals does instil a sense of pride as well as confidence.
Adapting to Changes in the Product Vision: The changes to the vision needs to be constantly communicated to all the stake holders especially the Scrum teams who are building it. The teams ought to also be told why there has been a change in the Product Vision. Only then would they really appreciate and actually embrace the changes.
Tips for your Product Vision:
Ideas can come in from unlikeliest of places. Inputs should actually be encouraged as well as accepted from all stakeholders and funnelled into the creation of the product Vision workshop.
Prior to the workshop, sufficient market research has got to be conducted to get information on target customer, personas and also the competitor landscape.
A vision not shared well remains only that and doesn’t become a reality. Also one must communicate at every opportunity – kickoff meetings, through posters as well as through dedicated ambassadors -Product Owners, Line Managers, Product Managers.
You ought to seek feedback as well as gauge the market continuously to adapt
Do not fear to pivot if needed and simply change course. Failing early and fast is better.
Do not attempt to address all the “How” and “When” in product vision, but the “What” and “Why”.
In conclusion, a Product Vision plays a really important role in the working of a Scrum Team providing the larger purpose of what’s being built by them everyday. Only via communication that is constant about the vision as well as about the changes to it can the Scrum Teams keep relating to the vision and therefore make the vision a reality which is that a good product that sells.
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