/bmad-prfaq

name: bmad-prfaq
description: |
  Amazon-style Working-Backwards PRFAQ: a future press release plus internal and
  external FAQs that stress-test a product concept before any building begins.
  Produces prfaq.md in the configured output folder.

  Use when the user says: "write a PRFAQ", "working backwards", "press release",
  "future press release", "stress-test the concept", "validate the idea before
  building", "internal FAQ", "external FAQ", "Amazon-style product brief", or
  "PRFAQ for [product/feature]". Also use when someone wants to clarify or
  update an existing PRFAQ, or validate a draft against the Working-Backwards
  criteria. Supports three intents: Create / Update / Validate.
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, TodoWrite, WebSearch, WebFetch

BMAD PRFAQ

**Role:** Pre-Phase Analysis — Working-Backwards stress-test

**Function:** Guide the user through the Amazon Working-Backwards method to produce a PRFAQ document (`prfaq.md`) that crystallises the product vision, validates the concept, and surfaces hard questions *before* a PRD, architecture, or a single line of code is written.

When to Use This Skill

Use when you need to:

• Validate a product concept before committing to a PRD or sprint plan
• Write a future press release that forces clarity on customer value
• Stress-test assumptions with a structured internal FAQ
• Prepare customer-facing answers before launch
• Update or validate an existing PRFAQ document
• Choose a BMAD planning track (the PRFAQ often precedes or replaces the

product brief for Working-Backwards teams)

The Working-Backwards Method

Working-Backwards starts from the *desired customer outcome* and reasons backward to the product. The PRFAQ has two parts:

| Part | Purpose | |------|---------| | Press Release | Articulate the customer value as if the product already shipped | | Internal FAQ | Surface hard business and technical questions the team must answer | | External FAQ | Anticipate questions a curious customer or press contact would ask |

The process forces concrete answers to the hardest questions *now*, not after months of building.

Three Intents

This skill supports three modes. Identify intent from context:

| Intent | Trigger | Output | |--------|---------|--------| | **Create** | No existing PRFAQ; new concept | Full `prfaq.md` from scratch | | **Update** | Existing PRFAQ; requirements changed | Revised `prfaq.md` with decision log entry | | **Validate** | Draft PRFAQ exists; needs critique | Critique report; annotated checklist |

Core Workflow

1. Orient (all intents)

• Check output folder for existing `prfaq.md`, `project-context.md`, and

`decision-log.md`.

• Confirm intent with the user (Create / Update / Validate).
• For **Create**: proceed to Step 2.
• For **Update**: read existing doc, identify changed sections, proceed to Step 4.
• For **Validate**: read existing doc, run the Validation Checklist (see below),

produce a critique; stop — do not rewrite unless the user asks.

2. Gather (Create / Update)

Ask the minimum questions needed to fill the template. Stop after each cluster and confirm before moving on. Suggested clusters:

**Cluster A — Customer & Problem**

• Who is the target customer (role, segment, context)?
• What is the specific problem or unmet need?
• How do they currently cope without this product?

**Cluster B — Product & Value**

• What does the product do in one sentence?
• What is the single most important customer benefit?
• What measurable outcome does the customer achieve?

**Cluster C — Differentiation & Availability**

• How is this different from existing solutions?
• When and how will customers get it?
• What is the call to action at launch?

**Cluster D — Hard Questions (Internal)**

• What are the top 3 risks or unknowns?
• What must be true technically for this to work?
• What does success look like in 6 months? 12 months?

**Cluster E — Customer Questions (External)**

• What will customers ask first?
• What might make them hesitate?
• What evidence or proof do they need?

3. Draft Press Release

Use the template at `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/bmad-prfaq/templates/prfaq.template.md`.

Fill in order: 1. Headline — product name + primary customer benefit in one line 2. Subheadline — who it is for and the key outcome 3. Opening paragraph — problem context (2-3 sentences) 4. Problem paragraph — paint the pain without naming the solution 5. Solution paragraph — introduce the product and its core capability 6. Benefit paragraphs — 2-3 paragraphs, one key benefit each 7. Customer quote — a realistic quote from a named persona 8. Call to action — how to get it, when, what to do next 9. Company quote — internal leader framing strategic intent

Keep the press release under 600 words. If you cannot keep it short, the concept is not clear enough — ask more questions.

4. Draft Internal FAQ

10-15 questions that the leadership team, investors, or a skeptical engineer would ask. Required question categories:

• **Market**: Why now? How large is the opportunity?
• **Customer**: How do we know this is a real problem?
• **Business model**: How does this make or save money?
• **Technical**: What are the hardest engineering problems?
• **Risk**: What are the top 3 ways this fails?
• **Metrics**: What does success look like at 30/90/180 days?
• **Alternatives considered**: What else did we consider and why not?
• **Dependencies**: What must exist before we can ship?

Answers must be specific. "We will figure it out" is not acceptable.

5. Draft External FAQ

5-10 questions that a customer, journalist, or analyst would ask at launch. Cover: pricing/access, privacy/security, compatibility, support, roadmap.

6. Assemble and Write

Assemble the three sections into `prfaq.md` in the output folder.

File path: `{outputFolder}/prfaq.md`

7. Log Decision (Create / Update)

Append a concise entry to `{outputFolder}/decision-log.md`:

• Date
• Intent (Created / Upd