When shaping the mission of a product management team, one challenge often surfaces: how do we articulate the purpose of what we do in a way that resonates with both the team and the organization? Enter Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle framework—a simple yet powerful tool that encourages teams to clarify their "Why," "How," and "What." This framework can help anchor the mission statement of any function, and it’s especially valuable for product management, where clarity of purpose drives alignment and impact.
What Is the Golden Circle?
Sinek’s Golden Circle consists of three concentric layers:
Why - The purpose. Why does your team exist? What’s the core belief or mission that drives your work?
How - The process. How does your team achieve its purpose? What’s the unique approach or “secret sauce” that differentiates you?
What - The output. What do you deliver as a team? This refers to the tangible products, services, or outcomes you bring to the organization.
By starting with "Why," the Golden Circle reframes how teams think about their purpose. It’s not about what you do, but why you do it.
Applying the Golden Circle to Product Management
Here’s how a fictive company, CleanAir Instruments, used the Golden Circle to define the mission of its product management team:
1. Start with the Why - The Purpose
We began by asking ourselves, Why does the product management team exist? This question moved us beyond day-to-day tasks like building roadmaps or managing backlogs. We landed on a clear and compelling purpose:
To empower industries to create safer and healthier environments by providing innovative air quality monitoring solutions that solve pressing air quality and compliance issues.
This "Why" anchors everything we do. It reminds us that the ultimate goal is to help industries protect their workers and meet compliance standards, not just to deliver products.
2. Define the How - The Secret Sauce
Next, we tackled the "How." What unique processes, capabilities, or mindsets allow us to fulfill our purpose?
Every company has the possibility to do product management, but how you are going to do it differently to differentiate from the competition?
Leveraging core development competencies to its maximum?
Faster time-to-market and feedback loops?
Extensive market investigation, customer interviews and other VOC activities?
We articulated this as:
By leveraging market insights, customer feedback, and cross-functional collaboration to develop intuitive, accurate, and portable air quality instruments—while ensuring ease of use and reliability in industrial settings.
This "How" highlights our team’s unique value: transforming insights into actionable strategies while staying committed to user-centric design.
3. Clarify the What - The Output
Finally, we addressed the "What." What are the tangible results of our work?
We consistently bring to market high-performance, portable air quality monitoring instruments that help industries meet safety and compliance standards while enhancing operational efficiency.
This "What" ties our efforts back to measurable outcomes—products that enable safer workplaces and regulatory compliance.
The Result: A Cohesive Mission Statement
By combining the Why, How, and What, we created a mission statement that encapsulates our team’s purpose and approach:
To empower industries to create safer and healthier environments by providing innovative air quality monitoring solutions that solve pressing air quality and compliance issues. We achieve this by leveraging market insights, customer feedback, and cross-functional collaboration to develop intuitive, accurate, and portable air quality instruments—while ensuring ease of use and reliability in industrial settings. As a result, we consistently bring to market high-performance, portable air quality monitoring instruments that help industries meet safety and compliance standards while enhancing operational efficiency.
This statement not only provides clarity for the team but also aligns us with broader organizational goals. It’s a mission we’re proud to rally around.
Why the Golden Circle Matters
Defining your team’s mission through the Golden Circle offers several benefits:
Clarity of Purpose: By starting with "Why," you align your team around a shared goal that transcends day-to-day tasks.
Organizational Alignment: A clear mission connects your team’s work to the company’s broader objectives and help in getting the buy-in of top management for your activities.
Increased Motivation: When team members understand the "Why" behind their work, they’re more likely to feel engaged and driven.
How to Use the Golden Circle for Your Team
Gather Input: Host a brainstorming session with your team to explore the "Why," "How," and "What."
Iterate: Don’t expect to get it right the first time. Refine your mission statement until it feels authentic and inspiring.
Communicate: Share your mission widely within your organization to build understanding and support.
Closing Thoughts
Whether you’re leading a product management team, a marketing department, or any other function, the Golden Circle is a powerful framework for clarifying your mission. By starting with "Why," you’ll ensure that your team’s work is purpose-driven, impactful, and aligned with the organization’s goals.
Have you used the Golden Circle to define your team’s mission? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments or via LinkedIn. Let’s keep the conversation going!