PRD Creator Skill

Create comprehensive PRDs that combine the best of Shape Up methodology, Amazon's Working Backwards approach, and traditional PRD practices.

When to Use

• Starting a new product or feature
• Defining scope and constraints for a project
• Preparing for a "bet" (Shape Up terminology)
• Needing a complete product specification
• Wanting to identify risks and rabbit holes early

The 12-Section PRD Framework

1. Product Overview

• Project title and version
• One-line description
• Executive summary

2. Working Backwards (Amazon Style)

• Press release headline
• Customer quote (delighted user)
• Internal quote (team perspective)
• Call to action

3. Problem Definition

• Surface problem (what users say)
• Five Whys analysis (root cause)
• Job to be done
• Current workarounds
• Why this matters now

4. Appetite & Constraints (Shape Up)

• Time budget (2-week small batch or 6-week big batch)
• Bet type and team size
• Must Have (P0), Nice to Have (P1), Won't Have (P2)
• Trade-off priorities

5. Solution Shape

• Solution overview (fat marker sketch level)
• Key elements
• What we're NOT building (critical for scope control)

6. Boundaries & Rabbit Holes

• Out of bounds (explicit exclusions)
• Known rabbit holes (complexity warnings)
• Dependencies
• Mitigation strategies

7. Goals & Anti-Goals

• Business goals
• User goals
• Anti-goals (what we're intentionally not solving)
• Success definition

8. Customer & Users

• Primary persona
• Secondary personas
• User journey
• Frequency of use

9. FAQ Section

• External FAQs (customer questions)
• Internal FAQs (stakeholder questions)
• Technical FAQs (implementation questions)

10. Success Metrics

• North Star metric
• Leading indicators (early signals)
• Lagging indicators (outcome metrics)
• Counter metrics (watch-outs)
• Definition of done
• Kill criteria (when to stop)

11. Technical Approach

• Architecture overview
• Key technical decisions
• Security considerations
• Performance requirements
• Integration points

12. Betting Table Decision

• Why this now (opportunity cost)
• Expected return
• Confidence level (1-10)
• Kill criteria

The Conversation Process

The PRD creation follows a slot-filling conversation:

1. Initiate - Project name, version, press release headline, core problem
2. Problem Exploration - Five Whys analysis to reach root cause
3. Set Appetite - Time budget and constraints before solutions
4. Shape Solution - Broad strokes, not pixel-perfect
5. Identify Rabbit Holes - Proactive complexity identification
6. Working Backwards - Customer quotes and FAQs
7. Define Success - Metrics and kill criteria
8. Make the Bet - Justify the investment

Slot Map Structure

{
  "Product Overview": {
    "Project Title": "",
    "Version Number": "",
    "One-Line Description": "",
    "Executive Summary": ""
  },
  "Working Backwards": {
    "Press Release Headline": "",
    "Customer Quote": "",
    "Internal Quote": "",
    "Call to Action": ""
  },
  "Problem Definition": {
    "Surface Problem": "",
    "Five Whys Analysis": {
      "Why 1": "",
      "Why 2": "",
      "Why 3": "",
      "Why 4": "",
      "Why 5": ""
    },
    "Root Cause": "",
    "Jobs to be Done": "",
    "Current Workarounds": "",
    "Why This Matters Now": ""
  },
  "Appetite & Constraints": {
    "Time Budget": "",
    "Bet Type": "",
    "Team Size": "",
    "Must Have (P0)": [],
    "Nice to Have (P1)": [],
    "Won't Have (P2)": [],
    "Trade-off Priorities": []
  },
  "Solution Shape": {
    "Solution Overview": "",
    "Key Elements": [],
    "Fat Marker Sketches": "",
    "Breadboard Description": "",
    "What We're NOT Building": []
  },
  "Boundaries & Rabbit Holes": {
    "Out of Bounds": [],
    "Known Rabbit Holes": [],
    "Complexity Warnings": [],
    "Dependencies": [],
    "Mitigation Strategies": []
  },
  "Goals & Anti-Goals": {
    "Business Goals": [],
    "User Goals": [],
    "Anti-Goals": [],
    "Success Definition": ""
  },
  "Customer & Users": {
    "Primary Persona": "",
    "Secondary Personas": [],
    "User Journey": "",
    "Frequency of Use": ""
  },
  "FAQ Section": {
    "External FAQs": [{"Q": "", "A": ""}],
    "Internal FAQs": [{"Q": "", "A": ""}],
    "Technical FAQs": [{"Q": "", "A": ""}]
  },
  "Success Metrics": {
    "North Star Metric": "",
    "Leading Indicators": [],
    "Lagging Indicators": [],
    "Counter Metrics": [],
    "Definition of Done": ""
  },
  "Technical Approach": {
    "Architecture Overview": "",
    "Key Technical Decisions": [],
    "Security Considerations": "",
    "Performance Requirements": "",
    "Integration Points": []
  },
  "Betting Table Decision": {
    "Why This Now": "",
    "Opportunity Cost": "",
    "Expected Return": "",
    "Confidence Level": "",
    "Kill Criteria": []
  }
}

Final PRD Template

# PRD: {project_title}

## Executive Summary
**Version:** {version_number}  
**Headline:** {press_release_headline}  
**One-liner:** {one_line_description}

{executive_summary}

## The Problem

### What We Heard
"{surface_problem}"

### Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys)
1. Why? {why_1}
2. Why? {why_2}
3. Why? {why_3}
4. Why? {why_4}
5. Why? {why_5}

**Root Cause:** {root_cause}

### Job to be Done
{jobs_to_be_done}

### Current Workarounds
{current_workarounds}

## The Appetite

**Time Budget:** {time_budget}  
**Bet Type:** {bet_type}  
**Team Size:** {team_size}

### Priorities
**Must Have (P0):**
{must_have_list}

**Nice to Have (P1):**
{nice_to_have_list}

**Won't Have (P2):**
{wont_have_list}

### Trade-offs
{trade_off_priorities}

## The Solution Shape

### Overview
{solution_overview}

### Key Elements
{key_elements}

### What We're NOT Building
{not_building_list}

## Boundaries & Rabbit Holes

### Known Complexity
{rabbit_holes_and_warnings}

### Mitigation
{mitigation_strategies}

## Working Backwards

### Press Release
**{press_release_headline}**

*"{customer_quote}"* - Happy Customer

*"{internal_quote}"* - Product Team

**{call_to_action}**

### FAQs
{all_faqs_formatted}

## Success Criteria

### North Star
{north_star_metric}

### Definition of Done
{definition_of_done}

### Kill Criteria
{kill_criteria}

## The Bet

### Why Now?
{why_this_now}

### Confidence Level
{confidence_level}/10

### Expected Return
{expected_return}

Key Principles

1. Start with the problem, not the solution - Use Five Whys to reach root cause
2. Set appetite before exploring solutions - Time budget is a constraint, not an estimate
3. Identify rabbit holes early - Proactively flag complexity that could spiral
4. Write from the customer's perspective - Working backwards creates clarity
5. Define clear success and kill criteria - Know when to stop or pivot
6. Make the bet explicit - Justify why this deserves the time investment

Usage

Invoke this skill when you need to create a comprehensive PRD. The skill will guide you through a conversational slot-filling process to gather all necessary information before generating the final document.

Example prompts:

• "Create a PRD for an AI-powered code review tool"
• "I need to define requirements for a mobile habit tracking app"
• "Help me write a product spec for a new payment feature"