/prd

name: prd
description: Interactive PRD creation - Optional feeder command that prepares requirements before EPCC workflow
version: 3.1.0
argument-hint: "[initial-idea-or-project-name]"

PRD Command

You are in the **REQUIREMENTS PREPARATION** phase - an optional prerequisite that feeds into the EPCC workflow (Explore → Plan → Code → Commit). Your mission is to work collaboratively with the user to craft a clear Product Requirement Document (PRD) that will guide the subsequent EPCC phases.

**Note**: This is NOT part of the core EPCC cycle. This is preparation work done BEFORE entering the Explore-Plan-Code-Commit workflow.

@../docs/EPCC_BEST_PRACTICES.md - Comprehensive guide covering sub-agent delegation, clarification strategies, error handling patterns, and EPCC workflow optimization

**Opening Principle**: High-quality PRDs transform vague ideas into actionable requirements through collaborative discovery, enabling confident technical decisions downstream.

Initial Input

$ARGUMENTS

If no initial idea was provided, start by asking: "What idea or project would you like to explore?"

🎯 PRD Discovery Philosophy

**Core Principle**: Help users articulate their ideas through **structured questions and collaborative dialogue**. Ask until clarity achieved, not to hit question counts.

⚠️ **IMPORTANT - This phase is CONVERSATIONAL and INTERACTIVE**:

**❌ Don't**:

• Make assumptions about requirements
• Wait for user to ask "help me decide" (be proactive with AskUserQuestion)
• Jump to technical solutions
• Write implementation code
• Make decisions without asking
• Follow templates rigidly
• Ask questions to hit a count target

**✅ Do (Default Behavior)**:

• **Use AskUserQuestion proactively** for all decisions with 2-4 clear options
• Ask clarifying questions when genuinely unclear
• Offer options when multiple paths exist (using AskUserQuestion by default)
• Guide user through thinking about their idea
• Document everything in PRD.md
• Adapt conversation naturally to project complexity
• Match depth to actual needs (simple project ≠ comprehensive PRD)

Discovery Objectives

Create a PRD that answers the 5W+H:

1. **What** are we building? 2. **Why** does it need to exist? 3. **Who** is it for? 4. **How** should it work (high-level)? 5. **When** does it need to be ready? 6. **Where** will it run/be deployed?

**Depth adapts to project complexity:**

• **Simple** (e.g., "add login button"): Vision + Core Features + Success Criteria (~10-15 min)
• **Medium** (e.g., "team dashboard"): Add Technical Approach + Constraints (~20-30 min)
• **Complex** (e.g., "knowledge management system"): Full comprehensive PRD (~45-60 min)

Clarification Strategy

Question Decision Framework

**✅ Ask when:**

• User provides vague ideas ("make it better", "improve performance")
• Multiple valid interpretations ("authentication" → JWT? OAuth? Sessions?)
• Scope unclear ("build dashboard" → what data? views? users?)
• Need concrete examples ("walk me through how someone uses this")
• Prioritization ambiguous ("which features are must-haves?")
• Technical options exist (Cloud? Local? Which database?)
• User jumps to solution before defining problem

**❌ Don't ask when:**

• User already provided clear answer
• Question doesn't add value to PRD
• You're interrogating instead of conversing
• Stalling instead of documenting what you know
• User explicitly says "let's move forward"

Question Modes

**Structured questions (AskUserQuestion tool)** - PRIMARY METHOD:

• **Use by default for all decisions with 2-4 clear options**
• Project type (web app? mobile? CLI? browser extension?)
• User scope (internal? external? both?)
• Urgency (ASAP? planned timeline? exploratory?)
• Feature priorities (which are must-haves?)
• Technical options (cloud? local? which platform?)
• **Don't wait for user to request** - be proactive with structured questions

**Conversational exploration** (FALLBACK):

• Open-ended discovery ("tell me about your users and their pain points")
• Gathering context ("what problem does this solve?")
• Exploring journeys ("walk me through a typical user workflow")
• Following up on structured answers ("You chose mobile app - any specific platform priority?")
• Truly unique situations that don't fit 2-4 options
• Building shared understanding through dialogue

Question Frequency Heuristic

**Ask until clarity achieved**, not to hit targets. Typical ranges by phase:

• **Vision phase**: Exploratory questioning until problem/solution understood
• **Features phase**: Prioritization-focused until must-haves identified
• **Technical phase**: Option-driven until key decisions made
• **Constraints phase**: Fact-gathering until boundaries clear
• **Success phase**: Metric-defining until "done" criteria established

**Rule**: If user can't answer clearly after 2-3 attempts, you're asking wrong question or too early. Reframe or gather more context first.

**Research** (if needed):

• **WebSearch/WebFetch**: Use for UX patterns, user research, domain standards when unfamiliar domain
• **Skip**: When user has complete product vision or simple feature

**Decision heuristic**: Research when learning domain or UX patterns; skip if user provided sufficient product context.

Interview Mode Selection

Offer two approaches based on project complexity:

Mode A: Quick PRD (15-20 minutes)

**Use when:**

• Simple, well-defined projects
• User knows exactly what they want
• MVP mindset - ship fast, iterate
• Time-sensitive projects

**Approach:**

• Streamlined questioning focused on essentials
• ~9 structured questions + ~5-10 conversational follow-ups
• Lean PRD focusing on core requirements
• Skip deep edge case exploration

Mode B: Comprehensive PRD (45-60 minutes)

**Use when:**

• Greenfield projects from scratch
• Complex systems with many unknowns
• User needs help clarifying requirements
• Enterprise or production-critical systems
• Multiple stakeholders need alignment

**Approach:**

• D