The Direction Leak | Article 1: Vision Alignment

You’ve got a fast team, firing on all cylinders. Code is flying. Pull requests are merging faster than coffee orders at a hackathon. But somehow, the product isn’t moving forward.

It’s like you’ve strapped a rocket to a shopping cart. Sure, it’s going fast—but where is it even going? The wheels are turning, but the destination is a blur.

That’s what happens when you’ve got Vision Misalignment—the first and most critical direction leak.

What Happens When the Team Doesn’t Know Where They’re Going

Speed alone doesn’t get results if you’re heading in the wrong direction. Vision misalignment means teams are:

• Building stuff that doesn’t matter: Engineers are working hard, but no one can connect the dots between their work and the business goals.
• Chasing the wrong targets: They’re hitting goals, but they’re the wrong goals. It’s like a race where everyone’s aiming for the wrong finish line.
• Getting burned out: When they realize the features they’re pouring effort into are barely moving the needle, frustration sets in.

Without a clear vision, even the most talented engineers can end up running in circles.

Signs You’re Dealing With Vision Misalignment

Here’s how you know it’s time to get the vision straight:

• “Why are we building this?” becomes a common question, not just a one-off.
• Features launch, but your key metrics barely shift.
• Engineers spend more time questioning the product strategy than actually coding.
• Your team is executing well, but it feels like they’re working in the dark.

The Fix: Aligning the Vision

1. Get Product Vision Clear – This is the compass for the team. Why does this feature exist? How does it solve real problems for customers? Everyone on the team needs the “why.”
2. Share the Technical Vision – Without a clear architecture or long-term technical strategy, engineers are left making decisions in isolation. This leads to inconsistency.
3. Check-in Regularly – Vision isn’t a one-and-done thing. Hold alignment sessions monthly or quarterly. Make sure everyone is still driving in the right direction.
4. Document It – Share the vision. Make it accessible. Put it in Confluence, Notion, whatever works. A clear roadmap means less guesswork.

Submit a Bug Report

Look around:

• Can every engineer explain the goal of their work in one sentence?
• Do they feel connected to the broader outcome of the product?
• Are they confident that the work they’re doing right now actually matters?

If you’re hearing “no” more than you like, then vision alignment isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the first thing you need to fix.