Create PRD Skill

Purpose

Create comprehensive Product Requirements Documents (PRD) from high-level product ideas. This skill guides systematic requirements gathering, market analysis, feature definition, and success metrics documentation to produce PRDs ready for architecture design or epic breakdown.

Core Principles:

• Structured requirements elicitation
• Market-driven feature prioritization
• Clear success metrics and KPIs
• User-centric design approach
• Supports both greenfield (new products) and brownfield (existing systems) contexts

Prerequisites

• Product vision or initial concept defined
• Access to stakeholder input (if available)
• Understanding of target market and users
• workspace/ directory exists for PRD storage

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Workflow

Step 1: Requirements Gathering

Action: Elicit product vision, objectives, and constraints through structured inquiry.

Key Activities:

1. Product Vision & Value Proposition

   • What problem does this solve?
   • What value does it provide to users?
   • What makes it unique or different?

2. Target Users & Personas

   • Who are the primary users?
   • What are their goals, needs, pain points?
   • What user segments exist?

3. Business Objectives

   • What are the business goals?
   • How does this align with strategy?
   • What's the expected ROI or impact?

4. Constraints & Considerations

   • Timeline constraints
   • Budget limitations
   • Technical constraints
   • Regulatory requirements
   • Team capabilities

Example Questions:

- "What problem are we solving for users?"
- "How will users discover and access this?"
- "What success looks like in 6 months?"
- "What are we explicitly NOT building?"

Output: Core requirements documented (vision, users, objectives, constraints)

See: references/elicitation-guide.md for comprehensive elicitation techniques

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Step 2: Market Analysis

Action: Analyze competitive landscape and market positioning.

Key Activities:

1. Competitive Landscape

   • Who are the direct competitors?
   • Who are indirect competitors or alternatives?
   • What are their strengths/weaknesses?

2. Market Positioning

   • How do we differentiate?
   • What's our unique value proposition?
   • What market segment do we target?

3. Go-to-Market Considerations

   • Distribution channels
   • Pricing strategy (if applicable)
   • Marketing approach
   • Launch strategy

4. Market Trends

   • Relevant industry trends
   • Technology trends
   • User behavior trends

Example Analysis:

Competitive Landscape:
- Direct: [Competitor A] (strength: enterprise features, weakness: poor UX)
- Indirect: [Alternative B] (users use spreadsheets instead)

Differentiation:
- Simple, intuitive UX (vs competitor complexity)
- Mobile-first design (vs desktop-only competitors)
- AI-powered automation (unique capability)

Output: Market analysis section for PRD

See: references/market-analysis-template.md for detailed framework

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Step 3: Feature Definition

Action: Define and prioritize features using MoSCoW method.

Key Activities:

1. Identify Core Features

   • What must the product do? (Must-haves)
   • What should it do? (Should-haves)
   • What could it do? (Could-haves)
   • What won't it do? (Won't-haves)

2. Feature Specifications

   • Brief description of each feature
   • User value/benefit
   • Dependencies between features
   • Technical complexity estimate (if known)

3. MoSCoW Prioritization

   • Must Have: Critical features, MVP blockers
   • Should Have: Important but not launch blockers
   • Could Have: Nice-to-haves, future enhancements
   • Won't Have: Explicitly out of scope

4. Feature Validation

   • Does each feature solve user problem?
   • Is each feature aligned with objectives?
   • Are must-haves achievable within constraints?

Example Feature Definition:

MUST HAVE (MVP):
1. User Registration & Login
   - Users can create accounts with email/password
   - Enables personalization and data security
   - Depends on: Database, authentication service

2. Dashboard Overview
   - Users see key metrics at a glance
   - Provides immediate value on login
   - Depends on: Data collection, visualization

SHOULD HAVE:
3. Advanced Filtering
   - Users can filter data by multiple criteria
   - Improves data discovery
   - Depends on: Dashboard, search infrastructure

COULD HAVE:
4. Data Export (CSV, PDF)
   - Users can export reports
   - Convenience feature, not core value
   - Depends on: Dashboard, report generation

WON'T HAVE (v1):
5. Real-time Collaboration
   - Out of scope for v1, planned for v2
   - Significant technical complexity

Output: Prioritized feature list with specifications

See: references/moscow-prioritization-guide.md for detailed prioritization framework

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Step 4: Success Metrics

Action: Define measurable success criteria and KPIs.

Key Activities:

1. User Adoption Metrics

   • Sign-ups, active users (DAU/MAU/WAU)
   • User retention (D1, D7, D30 retention)
   • User engagement (sessions, time-on-site)
   • Feature adoption rates

2. Business Impact Metrics

   • Revenue (if applicable)
   • Conversion rates
   • Cost savings
   • Market share
   • Customer satisfaction (NPS, CSAT)

3. Technical Performance Metrics

   • Page load time
   • API response time
   • Uptime/availability
   • Error rates
   • Scalability metrics

4. Success Criteria

   • Specific targets for each metric
   • Timeframes for achievement
   • How metrics will be measured
   • Baseline vs target values

Example Success Metrics:

USER ADOPTION:
- 1,000 sign-ups in first month
- 60% D7 retention
- 40% MAU engagement

BUSINESS IMPACT:
- 70% conversion rate (free → paid)
- NPS score >40
- $100K ARR by month 6

TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE:
- <2s page load time (p95)
- 99.9% uptime SLA
- <1% error rate

Output: Success metrics and KPIs documented

See: references/success-metrics-framework.md for comprehensive metrics catalog

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Step 5: PRD Document Generation

Action: Compile all gathered information into comprehensive PRD document.

Document Structure:

1. Executive Summary

   • Product overview (1-2 paragraphs)
   • Problem statement
   • Value proposition
   • Target users

2. Product Vision & Objectives

   • Vision statement
   • Business objectives
   • Success criteria

3. User Personas & Stories

   • Persona definitions
   • User journeys
   • Key use cases

4. Market Analysis

   • Competitive landscape
   • Market positioning
   • Differentiation strategy

5. Feature Specifications

   • Prioritized feature list (MoSCoW)
   • Feature descriptions and user value
   • Dependencies and relationships

6. User Flows & Journeys

   • Key user flows
   • Entry points and conversions
   • Edge cases

7. Non-Functional Requirements

   • Performance requirements
   • Security requirements
   • Scalability requirements
   • Accessibility requirements

8. Success Metrics & KPIs

   • Adoption metrics
   • Business impact metrics
   • Technical metrics
   • Success criteria with targets

9. Timeline & Milestones

   • High-level roadmap
   • Key milestones
   • Launch criteria

10. Assumptions & Constraints

    • Technical assumptions
    • Business assumptions
    • Known constraints
    • Dependencies

11. Open Questions & Risks

    • Unresolved questions
    • Identified risks
    • Mitigation strategies

File Location:

• Greenfield: docs/prd.md or workspace/prds/{product-name}-prd.md
• Brownfield: docs/brownfield-prd.md (if updating existing system)

Validation:

• All required sections present
• Features prioritized with clear MoSCoW categories
• Success metrics specific and measurable
• Assumptions and risks documented
• Ready for next phase (architecture or epic breakdown)

Output: Complete PRD document

See: references/prd-template.md for complete PRD template with all sections

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Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Greenfield Product (New Product)

Context: Creating PRD for entirely new product with no existing system.

Approach:

• Focus on user problem and market opportunity
• Emphasize differentiation and unique value
• Start with minimal MVP features
• Plan iterative releases

See: references/greenfield-examples.md for complete examples

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Scenario 2: Brownfield Product (Existing System)

Context: Creating PRD for enhancements to existing product.

Approach:

• Document current state briefly
• Focus on gaps and improvements
• Consider migration and compatibility
• Balance new features with technical debt

Note: For comprehensive brownfield PRD generation from codebase analysis, use create-brownfield-prd skill instead.

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Scenario 3: Insufficient Information

Context: Stakeholders haven't provided enough detail.

Approach:

1. Document known information
2. Create "Assumptions" section with reasonable assumptions
3. Create "Open Questions" section with specific questions
4. Mark PRD as "DRAFT - Pending Stakeholder Input"
5. Share with stakeholders for feedback

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Scenario 4: Too Many Features

Context: Stakeholders want everything in MVP.

Approach:

1. Apply strict MoSCoW prioritization
2. Identify true MVP (minimum viable)
3. Create phased roadmap (v1.0, v1.1, v2.0)
4. Use data/evidence to defend prioritization
5. Escalate if stakeholder insists on unrealistic scope

See: references/scope-management-guide.md for scope negotiation strategies

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Best Practices

1. Be User-Centric - Always frame features in terms of user value, not technical implementation
2. Keep It Clear - Use simple language, avoid jargon, be specific and concrete
3. Prioritize Ruthlessly - Not everything can be "must have"; be honest about MVP scope
4. Be Data-Driven - Use market research, user feedback, and metrics to validate decisions
5. Document Assumptions - Make implicit assumptions explicit to avoid misalignment later
6. Stay Flexible - PRD is a living document; expect it to evolve as you learn more
7. Cross-Reference - Link to other documents (architecture, task specs, user research)
8. Get Feedback - Share early drafts with stakeholders for validation and buy-in

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Reference Files

• references/elicitation-guide.md - Techniques for gathering requirements
• references/market-analysis-template.md - Competitive and market analysis framework
• references/moscow-prioritization-guide.md - Feature prioritization methodology
• references/success-metrics-framework.md - Comprehensive metrics catalog
• references/prd-template.md - Complete PRD template with all sections
• references/greenfield-examples.md - Example PRDs for new products
• references/scope-management-guide.md - Managing scope and stakeholder expectations

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When to Escalate

Escalate to stakeholders when:

• Critical information missing (target users, business objectives)
• Conflicting requirements or priorities
• Unrealistic scope or timeline expectations
• Budget constraints conflict with must-have features
• Regulatory or compliance requirements unclear

Escalate to architect when:

• Technical feasibility of features uncertain
• Significant architectural decisions needed
• Integration requirements complex

Use alternative skill when:

• Existing codebase needs analysis → Use create-brownfield-prd skill
• PRD too large (>100 features) → Use shard-document skill after creation
• Interactive validation needed → Use interactive-checklist skill for PO review

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Part of BMAD Enhanced Planning Suite