Building Digital Products That Matter: How I Drive Purpose into Product Strategy

Introduction

Digital products are everywhere—but meaningful digital products? Those are rare. After years in product leadership, I've come to realize that success doesn’t come from features alone. It comes from clarity of purpose, cross-functional collaboration, and relentless focus on user impact.

In this post, I want to walk you through how I approach product strategy with intention and purpose. It's not just about shipping fast. It's about shipping what truly matters.

Start with the Problem, Not the Idea

One of the most valuable lessons I learned early in my product journey is this: great ideas mean nothing if they don’t solve a real problem. Whether I'm working with designers, engineers, or business stakeholders, I always start by asking: “Whose problem are we solving? And is it really painful enough to matter?”

That might sound basic, but you'd be surprised how many product teams still jump straight to solutions. Purpose-driven product work is grounded in empathy, not assumptions.

North Stars and Product Principles

When I lead a product team, I like to define a clear North Star early on. Something that unites everyone—from design to development to marketing—around a single vision. For our onboarding product, for example, our North Star was: “Make getting started with our platform feel as seamless as opening your favorite app.”

Paired with product principles (e.g., "Build trust early," "Keep the user in flow," "Prioritize clarity over cleverness"), this gave the team a shared compass. Decisions became easier. Trade-offs had context. The strategy felt tangible.

Co-creation Over Handoffs

Gone are the days of rigid handoffs between product, design, and engineering. I believe in co-creation from day one. That means bringing everyone to the table during discovery, not just delivery.

It also means inviting feedback from stakeholders early and often. When people feel like they’ve helped shape the solution, they’re more invested in making it succeed.

Data-Informed, Not Data-Blind

Data is powerful, but only when it serves the right questions. I use data to challenge assumptions, validate hypotheses, and uncover blind spots—but never as a crutch for creativity.

Some of the best product decisions I’ve seen weren’t just supported by numbers, they were inspired by a gut feeling that came from deep user understanding. The magic happens when data and intuition work together.

What Does "Impact" Really Mean?

To me, impact means moving the metrics that matter most to the people using your product. In our case, we weren’t just chasing engagement or vanity KPIs. We wanted users to feel progress. That’s what led us to redesign our onboarding flow—reducing friction, building trust, and ultimately boosting conversion by 22% and generating €1M+ in additional ARR.

When impact becomes your filter, it changes everything. You say "no" more often. You iterate faster. And you never lose sight of why you're building in the first place.

Closing Thought

Purposeful product strategy is not a framework or a checklist. It’s a mindset. One rooted in empathy, focus, and the courage to build fewer things better.

In a world of endless feature requests and roadmaps that change weekly, choosing to build with purpose is a competitive advantage. And it’s one I try to bring into every product I help shape.