Vision and Mission Statements
Six months in, ReShelf's team is split. Rohan wants to sell new books from publishers for a commission. Arjun wants to build a marketplace for lecture notes. Both ideas could make money, and neither person is wrong to raise them. The problem is that the team has nothing to decide with. A clear vision and mission give them that.
The rule
Vision says where we're going; mission says what we do to get there.
- Vision: the future you want to create, usually five to ten years away. It describes a changed world, not a feature. It should inspire, and stay stable for years.
- Mission: what you do now, for whom, and how. Present tense, specific and practical.
ReShelf's statements:
Vision: Every textbook on campus gets read by more than one student.
Mission: ReShelf helps college students buy and sell used textbooks with verified classmates on their own campus, matched to the exact edition each course needs.
Good statements are short enough to remember, concrete enough to picture, and sharp enough to say no with. Weak ones fail in familiar ways:
| Weak statement | Problem |
|---|---|
| "To be the world's leading education platform" | Vague, and about the company, not its users |
| "Build a mobile app with listings, chat and payments" | A feature list, not a purpose |
| "Leverage synergies to empower learners" | Jargon; nobody can picture it |
The shortcut
Use the decision test: take a tempting idea and ask whether the vision and mission say yes or no. If they cannot decide, they are too vague.
Sell new books for a commission
The vision is about books being reused, and the mission says used books between classmates. Selling new copies moves away from both. No.
The trap is a statement so broad that it approves everything. "Help students succeed" would have said yes to new books, notes and a food-delivery service.
Drills
Answer fast — trust the rule.
"Every textbook on campus gets read by more than one student." Is this a vision or a mission?
Which is the best mission statement for ReShelf?
What is the decision test for a vision and mission?
"Help students succeed" approves new-book sales, a notes marketplace and food delivery. What is wrong with it?
Remember
- Vision says where we're going; mission says what we do to get there.
- Decision test: good statements can say yes or no to a tempting idea.
- Trap: statements so broad, vague or feature-heavy that they guide nothing.