PRD: Product Requirements Document

Document Type

Code: PRD
Name: Product Requirements Document
Domain: Product & Service

Abstract

This specification defines the Product Requirements Document document type within the BSpec 1.0 Universal Business Specification Standard. It establishes normative requirements, structured templates, and implementation guidance for organizations documenting product requirements document within the product-service domain. This specification enables systematic, machine-readable documentation that supports strategic planning, operational execution, and organizational alignment.

Purpose and Scope

The Product Requirements Document defines comprehensive requirements for products, bridging customer needs with technical implementation. It serves as the authoritative specification for product development teams and stakeholders.

Document Metadata Schema

yaml

---
id: PRD-{product-name}
title: "Product Requirements — {Product Name}"
type: PRD
status: Draft|Review|Approved|Deprecated
version: 1.0.0
owner: Product-Manager|Product-Team
stakeholders: [engineering-team, design-team, business-stakeholders]
domain: product
priority: Critical|High|Medium|Low
scope: product-definition
horizon: current
visibility: internal

depends_on: [PER-*, JTB-*, GAI-*, PAI-*]
enables: [FEA-*, REQ-*, UXD-*]

target_market: [Market segment identifiers]
dependencies: [External dependency identifiers]
budget_impact: High|Medium|Low|None
timeline_criticality: Blocker|High|Medium|Low

success_criteria:
  - "Requirements are comprehensive and testable"
  - "Stakeholder alignment is achieved"
  - "Customer value is clearly defined"
  - "Implementation is feasible"

assumptions:
  - "Market demand exists for the product"
  - "Required resources will be available"
  - "Technical implementation is feasible"

review_cycle: monthly
---

Content Structure Template

markdown

# Product Requirements — {Product Name}

## Executive Summary
**Problem Statement:** {What problem does this product solve?}
**Solution Overview:** {High-level solution approach}
**Success Criteria:** {How will we measure success?}
**Resource Requirements:** {Team, budget, timeline estimates}

## Market Context

### Target Market
- **Primary Segments:** {Key customer segments}
- **Market Size:** {TAM, SAM, SOM estimates}
- **Competitive Landscape:** {Key competitors and differentiators}
- **Market Timing:** {Why now? Market readiness factors}

### Customer Problem
- **Pain Points:** {Specific problems being solved}
- **Current Solutions:** {How customers solve this today}
- **Solution Gap:** {Why existing solutions are inadequate}
- **Validation Evidence:** {Research supporting the problem}

## Product Definition

### Value Proposition
- **Core Value:** {Primary value delivered to customers}
- **Unique Benefits:** {Key differentiating benefits}
- **Value Metrics:** {How customers measure value received}
- **Positioning:** {How this product fits in the market}

### Product Vision
- **Long-term Vision:** {3-5 year product aspirations}
- **Product Mission:** {Purpose and role of this product}
- **Success Scenario:** {What success looks like in 2-3 years}
- **Strategic Alignment:** {How this supports business strategy}

## Functional Requirements

### Core Features
- **Feature 1:** {Name}
  - **Description:** {What it does}
  - **User Stories:** {As a... I want... So that...}
  - **Acceptance Criteria:** {Specific testable conditions}
  - **Priority:** {Must Have|Should Have|Could Have|Won't Have}
  - **Dependencies:** {Other features or systems required}

### User Experience Requirements
- **Usability Standards:** {Ease of use expectations}
- **Accessibility Requirements:** {WCAG compliance levels}
- **User Interface Guidelines:** {Design system standards}
- **User Journey Optimization:** {Key flow requirements}

### Integration Requirements
- **API Requirements:** {External system integrations}
- **Data Exchange:** {What data flows in/out}
- **Third-party Services:** {Required external services}
- **Platform Compatibility:** {Supported platforms/devices}

## Non-Functional Requirements

### Performance Requirements
- **Response Time:** {Maximum acceptable latency}
- **Throughput:** {Transactions/requests per time period}
- **Scalability:** {Growth handling requirements}
- **Resource Utilization:** {CPU, memory, storage limits}

### Quality Attributes
- **Reliability:** {Uptime/availability requirements}
- **Security:** {Data protection and access controls}
- **Maintainability:** {Code quality and update ease}
- **Testability:** {Automated testing requirements}

### Compliance Requirements
- **Regulatory:** {Legal/regulatory compliance needs}
- **Industry Standards:** {Required certifications/standards}
- **Data Privacy:** {GDPR, CCPA, other privacy requirements}
- **Audit Requirements:** {Logging and audit trail needs}

## Success Metrics

### Business Metrics
- **Revenue Impact:** {Expected revenue contribution}
- **Cost Reduction:** {Operational cost savings}
- **Market Share:** {Market position improvements}
- **Customer Acquisition:** {New customer targets}

### Product Metrics
- **Adoption Rate:** {User uptake measurements}
- **Engagement Metrics:** {Usage depth and frequency}
- **Satisfaction Scores:** {NPS, CSAT, CES targets}
- **Feature Utilization:** {Feature usage analytics}

### Operational Metrics
- **System Performance:** {Technical performance KPIs}
- **Support Volume:** {Customer support impact}
- **Maintenance Overhead:** {Operational burden metrics}
- **Time to Value:** {Customer onboarding speed}

## Risk Assessment

### Product Risks
- **Market Risk:** {Market acceptance uncertainty}
- **Technical Risk:** {Implementation complexity/unknowns}
- **Competitive Risk:** {Competitor response threats}
- **Resource Risk:** {Team/budget availability}

### Mitigation Strategies
- **Risk 1:** {Risk description}
  - **Impact:** {High|Medium|Low}
  - **Probability:** {High|Medium|Low}
  - **Mitigation:** {Specific mitigation actions}
  - **Contingency:** {Backup plans}

## Implementation Approach

### Development Methodology
- **Approach:** {Agile, Lean, Waterfall, etc.}
- **Iteration Strategy:** {Sprint length, milestone approach}
- **Quality Gates:** {Review and approval checkpoints}
- **Release Strategy:** {Phased rollout, feature flags, etc.}

### Resource Requirements
- **Team Composition:** {Roles and skills needed}
- **Technology Stack:** {Required tools and platforms}
- **Budget Allocation:** {Development and operational costs}
- **Timeline Estimates:** {Major milestone dates}

### Dependencies and Constraints
- **Technical Dependencies:** {Platform, infrastructure needs}
- **Business Dependencies:** {Other product/service dependencies}
- **External Dependencies:** {Third-party provider requirements}
- **Regulatory Constraints:** {Compliance limitations}

## Assumptions and Constraints

### Key Assumptions
- **Market Assumptions:** {Customer behavior, market conditions}
- **Technical Assumptions:** {Technology capabilities, performance}
- **Resource Assumptions:** {Team availability, skill levels}
- **Business Assumptions:** {Budget approval, strategic support}

### Known Constraints
- **Budget Constraints:** {Financial limitations}
- **Time Constraints:** {Deadline requirements}
- **Technical Constraints:** {Platform or technology limitations}
- **Regulatory Constraints:** {Compliance requirements}

## Validation Plan

### Customer Validation
- **Target Customers:** {Specific customer segments for validation}
- **Validation Methods:** {Interviews, surveys, prototypes}
- **Success Criteria:** {What constitutes validation success}
- **Timeline:** {Validation milestone schedule}

### Technical Validation
- **Proof of Concepts:** {Technical feasibility demonstrations}
- **Performance Testing:** {Load and stress testing plans}
- **Security Testing:** {Security validation approaches}
- **Integration Testing:** {System integration validation}

### Business Validation
- **Market Testing:** {Pilot programs, beta releases}
- **Financial Validation:** {Cost/benefit analysis}
- **Operational Validation:** {Support and maintenance testing}
- **Strategic Validation:** {Alignment with business goals}

## Validation
*Evidence that product requirements are complete, feasible, and valuable*

Quality Standards

Bronze Level (Minimum Viable)

[ ] Basic problem statement and solution overview
[ ] High-level feature list with priorities
[ ] Basic success metrics identified
[ ] All required metadata fields completed

Silver Level (Investment Ready)

[ ] Detailed market research and competitive analysis
[ ] Comprehensive functional and non-functional requirements
[ ] Risk assessment with mitigation strategies
[ ] Clear validation plan
[ ] Implementation approach with resource requirements

Gold Level (Operational Excellence)

[ ] Evidence-based customer problem validation
[ ] Detailed user experience and interaction design
[ ] Comprehensive metrics framework with baselines
[ ] Continuous requirements evolution and validation
[ ] Cross-functional stakeholder alignment

Common Pitfalls

Scope creep without value assessment: Adding features without clear customer value
Weak success metrics: Vanity metrics that don't indicate real success
Insufficient market research: Building products based on assumptions
Technology-first thinking: Starting with technical solutions rather than customer problems

Success Patterns

Problem-solution fit focus: Deeply understand customer problems before designing solutions
Iterative validation: Build minimum viable versions to test assumptions quickly
Cross-functional collaboration: Include design, engineering, and business stakeholders
Clear success criteria: Define specific, measurable outcomes for product success

Relationship Guidelines

Typical Dependencies

PER (Personas): Personas define target users for the product
JTB (Jobs-to-be-Done): Jobs inform product functionality requirements
GAI (Gains): Gains guide value proposition development
PAI (Pain Points): Pain points drive problem statement definition

Typical Enablements

FEA (Feature Specification): Product requirements drive detailed feature specs
REQ (Requirements Specification): Product requirements inform technical requirements
UXD (User Experience Design): Product vision guides experience design

Document Relationships

This document type commonly relates to:

Depends on: PER (Personas), JTB (Jobs-to-be-Done), GAI (Gains), PAI (Pain Points)
Enables: FEA (Feature Specification), REQ (Requirements Specification), UXD (User Experience Design)
Informs: Product development, engineering architecture, business strategy
Guides: Feature prioritization, resource allocation, development planning

Validation Checklist

[ ] Executive summary with problem statement, solution overview, and success criteria
[ ] Market context with target market and customer problem analysis
[ ] Product definition with value proposition and product vision
[ ] Functional requirements with core features and user experience specifications
[ ] Non-functional requirements including performance, quality, and compliance
[ ] Success metrics across business, product, and operational dimensions
[ ] Risk assessment with mitigation strategies
[ ] Implementation approach with methodology and resource requirements
[ ] Assumptions and constraints documentation
[ ] Validation plan covering customer, technical, and business validation

PRD: Product Requirements Document ​

Abstract ​

Purpose and Scope ​

Document Metadata Schema ​

Content Structure Template ​

Quality Standards ​

Bronze Level (Minimum Viable) ​

Silver Level (Investment Ready) ​

Gold Level (Operational Excellence) ​

Common Pitfalls ​

Success Patterns ​

Relationship Guidelines ​

Typical Dependencies ​

Typical Enablements ​

Document Relationships ​

Validation Checklist ​

Related Documents ​