The Vision provides the direction and purpose for a solution, but it must be grounded in economic reality to be viable. Lean Budget Guardrails are the policies and spending practices that align the work of an Agile Release Train (ART) with the portfolio's strategic and financial objectives. When communicating the Vision, it is essential to frame it within these economic constraints. This ensures that stakeholders and teams understand not only the aspirational future state but also the boundaries and trade-offs involved, fostering realistic planning and alignment between strategy and execution.

A. The importance of empathy interviews: Empathy interviews are a critical input for defining the Vision by understanding customer needs, not an essential component of communicating the final Vision.

B. The importance of Feature prioritization: Feature prioritization (e.g., using WSJF) is a downstream activity used to execute the Vision by sequencing work, not a core part of the strategic message of the Vision itself.

D. The importance of non-functional requirements: NFRs are specific constraints on the solution that helps realize the Vision. While important, they are a more detailed level of requirement, not the primary message when communicating the high-level, strategic Vision.

1. Scaled Agile, Inc., "Vision." Scaled Agile Framework. Accessed May 22, 2024. The Vision provides the strategic context for the Agile Release Train, which is funded via a Lean Budget. The Vision must be achievable within this economic framework.

2. Scaled Agile, Inc., "Lean Budget Guardrails." Scaled Agile Framework. Accessed May 22, 2024. This article states, "Guardrails support the empowerment and autonomy of ARTs and Solution Trains while ensuring their work remains aligned with the portfolio’s strategy." The Vision is a primary artifact of that strategy, making the guardrails an essential boundary condition for it.

3. Scaled Agile, Inc., "SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager Courseware (Version 6.0)." Scaled Agile, Inc., 2023. The course emphasizes the Product Manager's responsibility to understand and work within the value stream's budget, which is governed by guardrails. This economic context is inseparable from the definition and communication of a realistic and achievable product Vision.