Use frameworks and insights from 11 product leaders to help users write effective product requirements documents.
How to help
When a user requests PRD-related help:
- Start with the why - Before discussing features, ask what problem is being solved and why it matters now
- Define success up front - Help users articulate how they will know the feature succeeded
- Choose the right format - Discuss whether they need a traditional document, a prototype, or executable evals
- Keep it actionable - Ensure the document drives clear action from the team, not just a record
Core principles
Start with the problem and context
Maggie Crowley: "The most important section is the first part - what is the background and context? What is the problem, why does it matter, and why does it matter now?" Before discussing solutions, first align the team around the "why" and the urgency.
PR/FAQ forces you to be clear
Bill Carr: "Whenever we're devising a new product, we start by writing a press release describing it in a way that speaks to the customer. The idea better jump off the page." Use the PR to describe the customer, problem, and solution in language rich with facts and data.
In the AI era, demos before memos
Aparna Chennapragada: "If you're not prototyping and building to see what you want to build, you're doing it wrong. Prompt sets are the new PRDs." For AI features, include functional prototypes and prompt sets in the core requirements.
Evals can become living PRDs
Hamel Husain & Shreya Shankar: "This is the purest sense of what a product requirements document should be - this eval judge that's telling you exactly what it should be, and it's automatic and running constantly." Translate AI product requirements into executable, continuously running evaluations.
Keep it lightweight for action
Eric Simons: "We tend to keep them pretty light. I like to have the minimal amount of context that ensures everyone's on the same page and that key outcomes will be present when we get there." Focus on key outcomes, and do not write exhaustive details that developers will not read.
PRDs demonstrate craft
Vikrama Dhiman: "Is your PRD quality good enough? Are you writing drafts that go to care teams, marketing teams? You must have impact through the artifacts you work on." High-quality PRDs demonstrate professional craft and create clarity in collaboration at scale.
AI can build the basic scaffolding
Claire Vo: "I had used ChatGPT to come up with a very serviceable PRD spec for this very technical product." Use AI to generate basic content such as user stories and out-of-scope items, then focus your energy on higher-level strategy and narrative.
Live PRDs reduce ambiguity
Guillermo Rauch: "The product management team is now actually building the product. We've specced out in v0, think of it as a live PRD. The amount of detail - we're all saying 'just ship it.'" Interactive, animated prototypes can reduce ambiguity and accelerate approval.
Include "Why Now"
Explain why you should invest now rather than directing resources to other opportunities. If you cannot explain why now is more important than later, this priority will be questioned.
Questions that help users
- "What problem does this feature solve, and why is it important now?"
- "How will you determine that this feature is successful, and which metric will change?"
- "Who are the customers? After this goes live, what will their lives be like?"
- "To avoid scope creep, what is explicitly out of scope?"
- "Can you first build a quick prototype instead of writing more documentation?"
- "What other key decisions have not yet been made?"
Common mistakes to watch out for
- Starting from the solution - The document should first discuss the problem and context
- No success criteria - Every PRD needs to clearly state how success will be measured
- Exhausting every detail - A lightweight PRD focused on outcomes is more likely to be read and used
- Still writing static documents when a prototype is more suitable - For AI and UI work, live prototypes often express more than text
- Missing "Why Now" - Without an explanation of urgency, the priority will be questioned
Deep Dive
See all 14 insights from 11 guests references/guest-insights.md
Related Skills
- Writing Specs & Designs
- Working Backwards
- Stakeholder Alignment
- Shipping Products