A Rallying Cry is a statement of purpose that is simultaneously concise and complete at a high level. I've used this fill-in-the-blank approach many times, and it's always effective at helping people quickly grasp the what and why of a new product or big enhancement. You wouldn't use this for every user story, certainly, but it's great for introducing substantial efforts.
Naturally, the content you put in the blanks is crucial, but this specific structure divides unwieldy lumps of exposition into distinct, logical components. Because it's easy to digest, collaboration and creativity get going sooner and more productive.
The Rallying Cry format
Today, to GOAL, PERSONA(s) ACTION. This stinks because DRAWBACKS. We can fix this by SOLUTION. We'll know we've succeeded when MEASURABLE OUTCOME. We propose this product: DELIVERABLE.
That might not be super-clear, so let's see some examples.
Example 1: competitive research
Today, to keep up with the competition's latest moves, product managers browse competitor and analyst websites. This stinks because it's slow, it's hard to regularly make time for, and it doesn't scale. We can fix this by taking over their intel-gathering and summarization. We'll know we've succeeded when customers report an 80% increase in their awareness of competitors' moves and/or an 80% decrease in the time spent on such intel-gathering and analysis. We propose this product: a service using crowd workers to manually monitor and summarize each customer's selected competitors.
Example 2: Uber
Today, to get a ride across town without driving or sweating, riders call taxis, or stand outside and flag them down. This stinks because it's unpredictable, the cars are often uncomfortable or unfriendly, and it's nerve-racking to compete with other people hailing them. We can fix this by developing a tech-forward system of drivers outside the taxicab world that proactively prevents these drawbacks from the ground up. We'll know we've succeeded when Uber rides in our target city outnumber cab rides. We propose this product: an app-driven marketplace that connects riders and available drivers outside the taxicab world.
Easy, right?
Pro tips
Stay in the head of the user. So often in product management, we're tempted to jump straight to the concrete deliverables. Resist that. Even just tossing out that Uber example, I had “automate” in the solution line. Too proscriptive. I reworded it to implicitly acknowledge that several approaches could fix the user problem (teleportation!). Until the last two sentences, stay focused on the problem space and how people's lives will be improved.
Don't expect to nail this perfectly before presenting it—the point is to get collaboration going. But discussions will be more effective if you spend some time deeply thinking through each part of the rallying cry, polishing the verbiage, and showing that you've put a lot of thought into it.
Try it yourself!
Assuming my JavaScript skills aren't too rusty, you can use the form below to give it a try.
Hint: triple-click the fields to more easily edit them.