Episode 78: Radical Product Thinking w/Radhika Dutt

I was sitting in the hotel overlooking the Swedish Archipelago. We had just finished a lengthy discussion on the company's strategy. There was no smile on my face; frustration was in the air. Instead of working with the strategy, we had just discussed the anatomy of the plan. First, we tried to define the meaning of words like Mission, Strategy, Roadmap, Vision, Purpose, Business Model, Objectives, Business Idea, and then we needed to place them in the three levels: Company, Business area, and Product. It became too complex; we couldn't get the job done. So instead of creating the long-term plan, we only discussed the structure of it. I longed for my Agile teams, where we focused on deliveries and had clear objectives.

Having strategy workshops is not easy. The craftsmanship of creating a strategy is intricate. But the answer is not only to escape back to the delivery teams, as I did. We need a long-term plan with a vision and purpose. As Product People, we need to take ownership of the product's success. Crafting a Product vision is a part of doing just that. Radhika Dutt, the author of the book Radical Product Thinking, digs into Product Vision; why we need it, and how to design it.

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