Establishing and maintaining a shared vision of the problem being solved (stakeholder needs) and the high-level
properties of the proposed product (product features) reduces the risk associated with stakeholder and market
acceptance by aligning expectations.
Unfortunately, misunderstandings and miscommunication about the product strategy often lead the development team to
develop a system that fails to meet stakeholders' needs and vision.
It is essential that the development team and stakeholders share the same expectations. The
product Vision identifies the stakeholders, provides a common understanding of the
problem being addressed, captures the high-level stakeholder needs and project constraints, and
provides the background and context for requirements that will be detailed later. A shared vision serves as input for
communicating the fundamental "what and why" for the project, and provides a strategy against which all future
decisions must be validated.
Establishing and maintaining a shared vision is also essential for planning and monitoring the scope of the
development effort. The product Vision establishes the long-term vision for the product, a vision
that typically spans several releases, and provides the information required for cost-benefit analysis and
prioritization of work.
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