While listening to a recent episode of the SVPG podcast, I was reminded of a common symptom that appears when there is no clear product vision: each person starts to have their own point of view about what the product is, what it’s for, and how it should evolve.

That’s natural. In the absence of a clear and shared vision, every team, leader, and individual will fill that gap with their own beliefs, experiences, and expectations. It may appear to be “diversity of opinion,” but in practice, it often results in misalignment. Every strategic conversation becomes a clash of narratives.

This fragmentation of understanding is just one of many symptoms of a lack of product vision. Based on my experience leading product teams at Locaweb, Conta Azul, Gympass, and Lopes — and more recently, supporting companies as a product advisor — I’ve seen how the absence of vision impacts the entire organization.

Decisions and Priorities

• The infamous “feature factory.”
• Confusing roadmaps with prioritization decisions based on opinion or hierarchy, rather than clear criteria.
• Short-term planning with no strategic direction.
• Difficulty saying “no” to ideas that don’t contribute to a common goal.

Teams and Structure

• Teams are organized by technology (“frontend,” “backend”) rather than problem or product domain.
• Low engagement from people who don’t understand the impact they’re generating.
• High turnover among those seeking purpose, or at least clarity about where they’re headed.

Communication and Culture

• Each department tells a different story about the product.
• Confusing onboarding: no one can clearly explain where the product is going.
• Marketing, sales, and product teams are moving in different, and sometimes opposite, directions.

Results and Market

• A value proposition that’s confusing or generic.
• Difficulty positioning the product in the market.
• Loss of identity and differentiation over time.

The lack of vision creeps into everyday decisions, slowly undermining alignment, purpose, and the team’s ability to generate impact. Identifying the symptoms is the first step. The second is taking action.

A good way to start is by listening closely to what people already believe the product should be. These individual perspectives can become the raw material for the first draft of a product vision. By understanding the different viewpoints and finding the most common and mobilizing elements among them, you can shape a realistic vision — one that’s grounded in the present but points toward a better future. A shared center of gravity for the team.

What to Do If You Don’t Have a Product Vision

If you recognized some of these symptoms in your context, the next step is to start building a vision. And it doesn’t have to be something grand at first. Product vision isn’t a catchy phrase or a slick presentation. It’s a conscious decision about the future the team wants to build, and the problems worth solving.

Here’s a good way to begin:

• Go back to the customer problem. Deeply understand the pain, the frustration, and the goal she’s trying to achieve.
• Connect it to what the company needs. Solving the customer’s problem is only sustainable if it also drives business results, whether through retention, conversion, engagement, or differentiation.
• Use the different points of view as input. They’re not noise — they’re signals. Listen carefully, look for patterns, and spot the tensions.
• Turn all that into direction. A clear focus that helps the team make more aligned decisions on a daily basis.

This kind of vision doesn’t emerge on its own. It takes someone with clarity, active listening, and the ability to connect the dots. It’s the responsibility of product leadership. In larger companies, it’s usually the CPO or VP of Product who takes this on. In smaller companies, it often falls to the Head of Product. And in many startups, it’s the founder who must lead this work.

If that’s your case, and the task feels too big, seeking support is also a valid path. Specialized consultancies or experienced mentors can help accelerate the process and avoid common pitfalls.

What matters most is not letting the vacuum expand. Because without vision, the product continues to move, but it moves without direction, without identity, and, over time, with less and less impact.

Is your team showing any of these symptoms?

Workshops, coaching, and advisory services

I’ve been helping companies and their leaders (CPOs, heads of product, CTOs, CEOs, tech founders, and heads of digital transformation) bridge the gap between business and technology through workshops, coaching, and advisory services on product management and digital transformation.

Digital Product Management Books

Do you work with digital products? Do you want to know more about managing a digital product to increase its chances of success, solve its users’ problems, and achieve the company’s objectives? Check out my Digital Product Management books, where I share what I learned during my 30+ years of experience in creating and managing digital products:

• Digital transformation and product culture: How to put technology at the center of your company’s strategy
• Leading Product Development: The art and science of managing product teams
• Product Management: How to increase the chances of success of your digital product
• Startup Guide: How startups and established companies can create profitable digital products