/prd-master

name: prd-master
description: PRD writing and product definition expert. Use when writing PRDs, user stories, acceptance criteria, or prioritizing features. Covers RICE/MoSCoW frameworks, agile requirements, and specification best practices.

PRD Master

Core Principles

• **Living Document** — PRDs evolve throughout product lifecycle
• **Stakeholder Collaboration** — Early involvement prevents late rework
• **Measurable Goals** — Replace vague with quantifiable targets
• **Focused yet Flexible** — Lean structure enables adaptation
• **Problem-First** — Define the problem before jumping to solutions
• **User-Centered** — Ground decisions in user research and data

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Hard Rules (Must Follow)

> These rules are mandatory. Violating them means the skill is not working correctly.

No Vague Metrics

**All metrics and requirements must be quantifiable. Vague descriptions are forbidden.**

❌ FORBIDDEN:
- "The app should be fast"
- "Support many users"
- "Good user experience"
- "The system should be reliable"
- "Easy to use interface"

✅ REQUIRED:
- "Page load time < 2s on 4G, < 500ms on WiFi (P95)"
- "Support 10,000 concurrent users with 99.9% uptime"
- "NPS > 50, Task completion rate > 85%"
- "99.9% availability, MTTR < 1 hour"
- "User can complete checkout in < 3 clicks"

Problem Before Solution

**Never propose a solution without clearly defining the problem first.**

❌ FORBIDDEN:
"We should add a search bar to the navigation"

✅ REQUIRED:
"Problem: Users can't find products quickly (40% exit rate on catalog).
They need a way to filter 1000+ products by attributes.
Proposed solutions: search bar, smart filters, AI recommendations."

INVEST-Compliant Stories

**All user stories must pass the INVEST criteria checklist.**

❌ FORBIDDEN:
- Dependent stories that can't be delivered independently
- Stories without acceptance criteria
- Stories too large to complete in one sprint
- Stories without clear user value

✅ REQUIRED:
- [ ] Independent — Can be delivered alone
- [ ] Negotiable — Details can be discussed
- [ ] Valuable — Clear user/business value
- [ ] Estimable — Team can estimate effort
- [ ] Small — Fits in one sprint
- [ ] Testable — Has acceptance criteria

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Quick Reference

When to Use What

| Scenario | Approach | Tool/Framework | |----------|----------|----------------| | Feature prioritization | Scoring model | RICE, ICE | | Release planning | Must/Should/Could/Won't | MoSCoW | | Customer satisfaction | Delight vs basics | Kano Model | | Sprint planning | User stories + BDD | Given-When-Then | | Complex requirements | Traditional PRD | Full template | | Agile iteration | Lean requirements | User stories + acceptance criteria |

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PRD Structure

Essential Components

## 1. Executive Summary
- Problem statement (2-3 sentences)
- Proposed solution (1-2 sentences)
- Success metrics (3-5 key metrics)

## 2. Context & Background
- Why now? Market opportunity or user pain
- Strategic alignment with company goals
- What happens if we don't build this?

## 3. Goals & Success Metrics
- Business objectives (revenue, retention, growth)
- User objectives (satisfaction, engagement)
- Success criteria (quantifiable targets)

## 4. Target Users & Personas
- Primary users (who benefits most?)
- Secondary users (indirect beneficiaries)
- User needs, pain points, motivations
- Jobs to be done

## 5. User Stories & Use Cases
- Core user flows
- Edge cases and error scenarios
- Integration with existing features

## 6. Requirements
- Functional requirements (what it does)
- Non-functional requirements (performance, security)
- Acceptance criteria (how we verify)

## 7. Out of Scope
- What we're explicitly NOT building
- Future considerations for later phases

## 8. Design & UX
- Link to design files (Figma, etc.)
- Key design decisions
- Accessibility requirements (WCAG 2.2 AA)

## 9. Technical Considerations
- Architecture overview
- Dependencies and integrations
- Data model changes
- API contracts

## 10. Rollout & Launch Plan
- Phased rollout strategy
- Feature flags and A/B tests
- Monitoring and alerts
- Rollback plan

## 11. Open Questions & Risks
- Unknowns requiring research
- Technical risks and mitigations
- Dependencies on other teams

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User Story Writing

Standard Format

As a [persona/role],
I want to [action/goal],
So that [benefit/value].

The Three C's

Card          — Brief description on index card
              → Captures essence, not details
              → Placeholder for conversation

Conversation  — Discussion between team members
              → Explore edge cases
              → Clarify assumptions
              → Uncover hidden requirements

Confirmation  — Acceptance criteria
              → Defines "done"
              → Testable conditions
              → Given-When-Then format

INVEST Criteria

Independent   — Story stands alone, minimal dependencies
Negotiable    — Details emerge through conversation
Valuable      — Delivers value to users or business
Estimable     — Team can estimate effort
Small         — Completable within one sprint
Testable      — Clear acceptance criteria

Examples

## Good User Stories

### Feature: Password Reset
As a user who forgot my password,
I want to reset it via email,
So that I can regain access to my account without contacting support.

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- Given I'm on the login page
- When I click "Forgot Password"
- Then I see a form requesting my email address

- Given I've entered my registered email
- When I submit the form
- Then I receive a password reset link within 2 minutes

- Given I click the reset link within 24 hours
- When I set a new password (min 8 chars, 1 number, 1 symbol)
- Then I'm logged in automatically

### Feature: Bulk Upload
As a content manager,
I want to upload multiple products via CSV,
So that I can save time compared to manual entry.

**Acceptance Crit