Purpose
Guide product managers through structured PRD (Product Requirements Document) creation by orchestrating problem framing, user research synthesis, solution definition, and success criteria into a cohesive document. Use this to move from scattered notes and Slack threads to a clear, comprehensive PRD that aligns stakeholders, provides engineering context, and serves as a source of truth—avoiding ambiguity, scope creep, and the "build what's in my head" trap.
This is not a waterfall spec—it's a living document that captures strategic context, customer problems, proposed solutions, and success criteria, evolving as you learn through delivery.
Key Concepts
What is a PRD?
A PRD (Product Requirements Document) is a structured document that answers:
- What problem are we solving? (Problem statement)
- For whom? (Target users/personas)
- Why now? (Strategic context, business case)
- What are we building? (Solution overview)
- How will we measure success? (Metrics, success criteria)
- What are the requirements? (User stories, acceptance criteria, constraints)
- What are we NOT building? (Out of scope)
PRD Structure (Standard Template)
# [Feature/Product Name] PRD
## 1. Executive Summary
- One-paragraph overview (problem + solution + impact)
## 2. Problem Statement
- Who has this problem?
- What is the problem?
- Why is it painful?
- Evidence (customer quotes, data, research)
## 3. Target Users & Personas
- Primary persona(s)
- Secondary persona(s)
- Jobs-to-be-done
## 4. Strategic Context
- Business goals (OKRs)
- Market opportunity (TAM/SAM/SOM)
- Competitive landscape
- Why now?
## 5. Solution Overview
- High-level description
- User flows or wireframes
- Key features
## 6. Success Metrics
- Primary metric (what we're optimizing for)
- Secondary metrics
- Targets (current → goal)
## 7. User Stories & Requirements
- Epic hypothesis
- User stories with acceptance criteria
- Edge cases, constraints
## 8. Out of Scope
- What we're NOT building (and why)
## 9. Dependencies & Risks
- Technical dependencies
- External dependencies (integrations, partnerships)
- Risks and mitigations
## 10. Open Questions
- Unresolved decisions
- Areas requiring discovery
Why This Works
- Alignment: Ensures everyone (PM, design, eng, stakeholders) understands the "why"
- Context preservation: Captures research and strategic rationale for future reference
- Decision log: Documents what's in scope, out of scope, and why
- Execution clarity: Provides engineering with user stories and acceptance criteria
Anti-Patterns (What This Is NOT)
- Not a detailed spec: PRDs frame the problem and solution; they don't specify UI pixel-by-pixel
- Not waterfall: PRDs evolve as you learn; they're not frozen contracts
- Not a substitute for collaboration: PRDs complement conversation, not replace it
When to Use This
- Starting a major feature or product initiative
- Aligning cross-functional teams on scope and requirements
- Documenting decisions for future reference
- Onboarding new team members to a project
When NOT to Use This
- For small bug fixes or trivial features (overkill)
- When problem and solution are already clear and aligned (just write user stories)
- For continuous discovery experiments (use Lean UX Canvas instead)
Facilitation Source of Truth
When running this workflow as a guided conversation, use workshop-facilitation as the interaction protocol.
It defines:
- session heads-up + entry mode (Guided, Context dump, Best guess)
- one-question turns with plain-language prompts
- progress labels (for example, Context Qx/8 and Scoring Qx/5)
- interruption handling and pause/resume behavior
- numbered recommendations at decision points
- quick-select numbered response options for regular questions (include
Other (specify) when useful)
This file defines the workflow sequence and domain-specific outputs. If there is a conflict, follow this file's workflow logic.
Application
Use template.md for the full fill-in structure.
This workflow orchestrates 8 phases over 2-4 days, using multiple component and interactive skills.
Phase 1: Executive Summary (30 minutes)
Goal: Write a one-paragraph overview for skimmers.
Activities
1. Draft Executive Summary
-
Format: "We're building [solution] for [persona] to solve [problem], which will result in [impact]."
-
Example:
"We're building a guided onboarding checklist for non-technical small business owners to solve the problem of 60% drop-off in the first 24 hours due to lack of guidance, which will increase activation rate from 40% to 60% and reduce churn by 10%."
-
Participants: PM
-
Duration: 30 minutes
-
Output: One-paragraph summary
Tip: Write this first (forces clarity), but refine it last (after other sections are complete).
Phase 2: Problem Statement (60 minutes)
Goal: Frame the customer problem with evidence.
Activities
1. Write Problem Statement
- Use:
skills/problem-statement/SKILL.md (component)
- Input: Discovery insights from
skills/discovery-process/SKILL.md or skills/problem-framing-canvas/SKILL.md
- Participants: PM
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Output: Structured problem statement
Example Problem Statement:
## 2. Problem Statement
### Who has this problem?
Non-technical small business owners (solopreneurs, 1-10 employees) who sign up for our SaaS product.
### What is the problem?
60% of users abandon onboarding within the first 24 hours because they don't know what to do first. They see an empty dashboard with no guidance, get overwhelmed by options, and leave.
### Why is it painful?
- **User impact:** Wastes time (30-60 min trying to figure out product), never reaches "aha moment," churns before experiencing value
- **Business impact:** 60% activation rate → high churn, low LTV, poor word-of-mouth
### Evidence
- **Interviews:** 8/10 churned users said "I didn't know what to do first" (discovery interviews, Feb 2026)
- **Analytics:** 60% of signups complete 0 actions within 24 hours (Mixpanel, Jan 2026)
- **Support tickets:** "How do I get started?" is #1 support question (350 tickets/month)
- **Customer quote:** "I logged in, saw an empty dashboard, and thought 'now what?' I gave up and went back to my spreadsheet."
2. Add Supporting Context (Optional)
- Customer journey map: If problem spans multiple touchpoints
- Use:
skills/customer-journey-mapping-workshop/SKILL.md output
- Jobs-to-be-done: If motivations are key
- Use:
skills/jobs-to-be-done/SKILL.md output
Outputs from Phase 2
- Problem statement: Who, what, why, evidence
- Supporting artifacts: Journey map, JTBD (if relevant)
Phase 3: Target Users & Personas (30 minutes)
Goal: Define who you're building for.
Activities
1. Document Personas
- Use:
skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md (component) output
- Participants: PM
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Format: Include persona name, role, goals, pain points, behaviors
Example:
## 3. Target Users & Personas
### Primary Persona: Solo Entrepreneur Sam
- **Role:** Freelance consultant, solopreneur
- **Company size:** 1 person (no IT support)
- **Tech savviness:** Low (uses email, spreadsheets, basic SaaS)
- **Goals:** Get value from software fast without technical expertise
- **Pain points:** Overwhelmed by complex UIs, no time to watch tutorials, needs immediate value
- **Current behavior:** Signs up for products, tries for 1 day, churns if not immediately useful
### Secondary Persona: Small Business Owner (5-10 employees)
- **Role:** Owner-operator, manages team
- **Needs:** Onboard team members quickly
- **Differs from primary:** More tolerant of complexity, willing to invest setup time
Outputs from Phase 3
- Primary persona: Detailed profile
- Secondary personas: (if applicable)
Phase 4: Strategic Context (45 minutes)
Goal: Explain why this matters to the business and why now.
Activities
1. Document Business Goals
- Source: Company OKRs, strategic memos, roadmap
- Format: Link feature to business outcomes
- Example:
"This initiative supports our Q1 OKR: Reduce churn from 15% to 8%. Improving onboarding activation directly impacts retention."
2. Size Market Opportunity (Optional)
- Use:
skills/tam-sam-som-calculator/SKILL.md (interactive) output
- When: For major initiatives, new products, exec presentations
- Example:
"TAM: 50M small businesses globally. SAM: 5M using SaaS tools. SOM: 500K solopreneurs in our target segments. Improving onboarding could unlock 30% of SAM (1.5M potential customers)."
3. Document Competitive Landscape (Optional)
- Source: Competitor research, G2/Capterra reviews
- Example:
"Competitors (Competitor A, B) have guided onboarding. Our lack of guidance is cited as a churn reason in exit surveys."
4. Explain "Why Now?"
- Rationale: Why prioritize this now vs. later?
- Example:
"Churn spiked 15% in Q4. Onboarding is the #1 driver (60% churn in first 30 days). Fixing this is critical to hitting retention OKR."
Outputs from Phase 4
- Business goals: OKRs or strategic initiatives
- Market opportunity: TAM/SAM/SOM (if applicable)
- Competitive context: How competitors address this
- Why now: Urgency rationale
Phase 5: Solution Overview (60 minutes)
Goal: Describe what you're building (high-level, not detailed spec).
Activities
1. Write Solution Description
- Format: High-level overview, 2-3 paragraphs
- Example:
## 5. Solution Overview
We're building a **guided onboarding checklist** that walks new users through core workflows step-by-step when they first log in.
**How it works:**
1. User signs up and logs in for the first time
2. Modal appears: "Let's get you set up! Complete these 3 steps to get started."
3. Checklist shows:
- ☐ Create your first project
- ☐ Invite a teammate (optional)
- ☐ Complete a sample task
4. As user completes each step, checklist updates with checkmarks
5. After completion, celebration modal: "You're all set! Here's what to do next."
**Key features:**
- Minimal: Only 3 core steps (not overwhelming)
- Dismissible: Users can skip if they prefer to explore
- Progress tracking: Visual progress bar (1/3, 2/3, 3/3)
- Celebration: Positive reinforcement when complete
2. Add User Flows or Wireframes (Optional)
- Use: Design tools (Figma, Sketch), or hand-drawn sketches
- When: For complex features requiring visual explanation
- Output: Embedded in PRD or linked
3. Reference Story Map (Optional)
- Use:
skills/user-story-mapping-workshop/SKILL.md output
- When: For complex features with multiple release slices
- Output: Link to story map
Outputs from Phase 5
- Solution description: High-level overview
- User flows/wireframes: (if applicable)
- Story map: (if applicable)
Phase 6: Success Metrics (30 minutes)
Goal: Define how you'll measure success.
Activities
1. Define Primary Metric
- Question: What is the ONE metric this feature must move?
