How to write good PRDs
PRDs, or product requirement documents, serve as a comprehensive guide throughout the development process. This evolving document helps ensure alignment and provides a centralized location for key information needed during the initial stages of execution.
A well crafted PRD can mean the difference between a successful product and a failed one.
It helps to ensure that everyone involved in the product development process has a common understanding of the product's goals, requirements, and specifications. In addition, it functions as an artifact for onboarding new employees, while also guaranteeing that critical information remains within the organization even after team members have departed.
This article will delve into the essential components of a high-quality PRD, curated from insights shared by numerous product leaders.
A good PRD must unlock:
The work of modern product teams resembles any other creative pursuit: enough constraints to initiate progress, but enough room to allow for novel solutions and approaches as exploration gets underway. Therefore, the PRD should mirror this process and evolve alongside the development cycle.
Product briefs: They help clarify the problem space and gather early alignment on the investment focus area. It includes a description about the opportunity, the supporting evidence about why one should solve the above problem, the success criteria and details about the non-goals.
Product specs: Also known as lean PRDs, these documents are designed to encourage and facilitate discussions with cross-functional leaders regarding potential solutions. It’s common to expand a product brief into a product spec after solving the problem space and moving into the solution space. This document must include a link to the product brief, the scope, user experience and potential risks. It should capture enough information to ignite meaningful conversations across cross-functional teams.
Full PRDs: These are created to unlock execution and start development when there is a clear vision and approach for the solution. A detailed PRD is most appropriate here to bring the solution to life and create a launch plan. The components should be created in collaboration with the design, engineering and marketing teams. The team works collectively to build an execution plan that works for everyone.
Traits of a good PRD: Great PRDs give teams and individuals the information and confidence they need to raise flags, ask questions, and iterate with minimal decision churn. They leave space for cross-functional partners to define the solution alongside PMs, leading to a better customer outcome.
- - Does it enable alignment across different cross-functional teams with the right amount of direction?
- - Does it create enough clarity for everyone on the team about what you are building and why ?
- - Does it highlight all the risks and trade-offs ?
- - Are there clear goals and milestones ?
- - Does it have a clear success criteria?
- - Is it brief ?
Links to some of the best PRD templates:
What should a PRD include ?
- - Problem: Describe the problem that you are trying to solve.
- - Why is solving this problem important for your customers and business?
- - What evidence or insights do you have to support this?
- - Why now?
Example: “Repeat user orders have dropped by x% in the last y months.
Hypothesis: Based on the user study and login data, the login flow seems to be the potential issue.
- - Risks/Assumptions
- - Target user segment: Different user cohorts and the pain point to be solved
- - Functional and non-functional requirements to meet the desired user experience: Wireframes/mockups
- - Success criteria: Increase conversion by x%
- - GTM plan
Example: Pre-Launch
- - Engage and recruit influencers
- - Teaser videos
- - Press release
- - Waitlist
Example: Post-Launch
- - Feedback survey
- - Data dashboards
- - Increase roll-out
- - Development plan: Timelines and owners
Example:
Pro-tip: Keep it short so that it is widely adopted across the team. The details can be in the form of links.
