We’re six months into 2025, and change has been constant. Business goals evolve. Priorities pivot. Teams adapt. And with that, many are now stepping back to assess whether their product strategy still reflects where they’re heading next. In times of transformation, staying aligned on the right problem to solve isn’t just important—it’s essential. 

But don’t panic. There’s still plenty of time to get that project back on track—or even off the ground with fresh momentum and a renewed sense of direction. 

We’ve all been there: a product in motion, but the traction isn’t there. You’re pulling levers, trying to build momentum, but nothing clicks. The good news? You’re not alone. And more importantly, there are levers that can make a difference. 

In this article, we break down the key areas you need to revisit to realign your digital product strategy for the second half of the year. 

1. Review Your Product or Project Vision 

Staying laser-focused on solving the right problem is the biggest hurdle most teams face. This doesn’t mean the rest is easy—far from it—but getting this right creates a strong foundation for alignment, purpose, and outcomes that actually move the needle. 

That’s precisely why we run discovery workshops with our clients. These sessions help uncover the real problems behind a brief or business challenge, aligning the team on the outcomes that matter most. We work collaboratively to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and co-create the right solutions. This early alignment lays the groundwork for faster, clearer decisions and a more focused product direction. 

Nearly half of product managers (49%) say their biggest challenge is setting a clear product vision and aligning their team around it. That challenge only gets amplified when you’re mid-year, juggling shifting priorities and mounting pressure. 

Ask yourself and your team: 

  • Has your target audience changed? 
  • Are the business goals or KPIs still relevant? 
  • Are you solving the same core problem—or has it evolved? 
  • What are you trying to achieve? 

That last one may sound simple, but it often opens up a can of worms. Stakeholders across the business will all have different interpretations, each pulling the project in a different direction. Managing that alignment—and resetting shared expectations—is critical. 

Take Slack, for example. The tool began life as an internal chat system for a gaming company. But they pivoted when their vision shifted, recognising a much bigger problem: fragmented workplace communication. That decision unlocked a new growth trajectory and transformed them into market leaders. 

Tip: Run a ‘vision check-in’ workshop with your team and key stakeholders. Frameworks like the Lean Canvas or the North Star Metric method can help bring clarity fast. 

2. Analyse Your User Feedback and Data 

It’s one thing to lose sight of your product vision—but losing touch with your users is where the real damage happens. 

Your users are the heartbeat of your product, and chances are, you already have a wealth of insight about them at your fingertips. From user interviews to feature usage data, support tickets to churn rates—it’s all there. 

The key is combining the quantitative (analytics, dashboards, NPS scores) with the qualitative (honest feedback, pain points, and unmet needs). 

Because here’s the thing: a product that doesn’t solve a user problem will not be adopted—no matter how slick the interface or how much time went into development. If your app creates friction where it used to feel intuitive, users will become frustrated, disconnected, and ultimately disengaged. 

The numbers back this up: companies that actively use customer behavioural insights outperform their peers by 85% in sales growth and more than 25% in gross margin (McKinsey). 

Yet many teams still rely on assumptions instead of asking users what’s going wrong. 

When Monzo launched its banking app, it relied heavily on community feedback. A real-time forum helped surface and fix issues quickly—from budgeting tools to spending alerts. That continuous loop of listening and improving led to increased retention, stronger engagement, and rapid word-of-mouth growth. Just recently, Monzo reported a 130% increase in revenue year-on-year and surpassed 9 million customers—clear evidence that a user-centric approach delivers long-term growth. 

So ask: 

  • What features are being used, and which are ignored? 
  • Where are users dropping off? 
  • What feedback patterns are emerging? 

This isn’t just about measuring success—it’s about diagnosing misalignment and uncovering where your product is missing the mark. 

Our discovery workshops often highlight the gaps between what users expect and what your product delivers—helping teams interpret feedback, prioritise improvements, and re-centre around user value. 

3. Re-Evaluate Your Roadmap Priorities 

If your product direction has shifted, your roadmap needs to shift too. 

Too many teams fall into the trap of the sunk cost fallacy—holding onto features or plans simply because they’re already underway. But just because something was scoped in January doesn’t mean it’s still the right move in June. 

Zoom out and ask: 

  • What’s delivering real value? 
  • What’s just noise? 
  • What deserves to be deprioritised—or dropped altogether? 

37% of product managers admit their roadmaps aren’t aligned with company goals. That means entire quarters can be lost chasing features that no longer serve the bigger picture. 

Use frameworks like RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) or the Kano Model (Basic, Performance, Excitement) to evaluate with clarity. 

In our discovery workshops, we guide clients through these prioritisation tools in real time—surfacing what’s delivering tangible business value versus what’s adding complexity without meaningful impact. 

Because here’s the truth: great product teams aren’t afraid to pivot. 
They’re afraid of building the wrong thing brilliantly. 

4. Plan for the Next 6 Months 

You’ve reassessed. You’ve listened. Now it’s time to act. 

Set a clear direction for the second half of the year. Define what you need to test, validate, build—or cut. Align your team around a few key objectives, and establish a North Star Metric: one unifying measure of success that connects everyone from dev to design to strategy. 

This could mean: 

  • Increasing daily active users 
  • Reducing time-to-task 
  • Boosting retention in a key segment 

Think about what Spotify did by focusing on time spent listening—a powerful, user-centred metric that reflected long-term value. 

Whatever your North Star is, make it meaningful. This metric should reflect the core value your product delivers to users and help guide every decision your team makes. Whether it’s increasing active usage, reducing friction in a key flow, or boosting retention in a critical segment, your North Star should serve as a constant compass. In our discovery workshops, we help businesses define success in a way that’s both measurable and motivating—tying it directly to user outcomes and business impact, and aligning the entire team around a shared definition of progress. 

That often means aligning the whole team—from dev to design to stakeholders—around a single definition of progress. And yes, we always make space for iteration, learning, and curveballs along the way. 

Whether you need to pivot or double down, now’s the time to reset with purpose—before the second half of 2025 races by. 

Conclusion: Pause to Realign. Then Move with Purpose. 

Stepping back isn’t a luxury—it’s a competitive advantage. 

In a world where product teams are pushed to ship fast and stay reactive, the smartest thing you can do is pause, reflect, and realign. 

Revisit your vision. Reconnect with your users. Reprioritise your roadmap. And move into H2 with clarity and confidence. 

Agility, alignment, and user focus aren’t just buzzwords—they’re the backbone of building the right product. 
And there’s no better time than now to make sure you’re still doing exactly that. 

TL;DR: Is Your Product Still Solving the Right Problem?

Short on time? Here’s the quick recap.

Six months into 2025, now’s the time to step back and reassess. Business goals have evolved, user needs have shifted, and your product strategy may need a reset. This mid-year health check helps you realign and refocus for H2 success by:

  • Rechecking your product vision to ensure it still aligns with your audience and business goals
  • Reconnecting with real user feedback—not just assumptions
  • Re-evaluating your roadmap and cutting what no longer delivers value
  • Setting a clear direction with a North Star Metric to guide your team forward

Agility, alignment, and user focus aren’t just buzzwords—they’re what make good products great.