How to Write a Product Requirements Document (PRD) from Scratch

Introduction

Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) are the cornerstone of successful product development, serving as a crucial bridge between customer needs and technical implementation. For Product Managers transitioning from MBA roles or those seeking to standardise their approach, mastering the art of crafting a comprehensive PRD is essential. This guide will walk you through the process of creating a PRD from scratch, ensuring you capture all necessary elements to guide your development team effectively.

You'll learn how to articulate product vision, define user stories, specify features, and outline technical requirements. This guide assumes basic familiarity with product management concepts and some exposure to software development processes. By the end, you'll be equipped to create clear, actionable PRDs that align stakeholders and set the stage for successful product launches.

To get the most from this guide, you should have access to your company's product strategy documents, user research findings, and technical documentation. Expect to invest several days in the PRD creation process, collaborating with various team members along the way.

Quick Reference Guide

Create a PRD to define product features, user requirements, and technical specifications
Tools: Document editor, project management software, wireframing tool
Estimated time: 3-5 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
Required skills: Product strategy, user empathy, technical writing, stakeholder management
Expected outcome: A comprehensive PRD that guides development and aligns stakeholders

Prerequisites

Before diving into PRD creation, ensure you have:

A solid understanding of your product strategy and market positioning
Access to recent user research and competitive analysis
Familiarity with your development team's technical capabilities and constraints
Basic knowledge of UX design principles and software architecture
Collaboration tools set up (e.g., Confluence, JIRA, Miro)
Stakeholder availability for reviews and sign-offs

Prepare by gathering relevant market data, user feedback, and technical documentation. Set up a dedicated workspace for your PRD, either physical or digital, where you can consolidate all necessary information and collaborate with team members.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Define Product Vision and Objectives

Begin by clearly articulating the product vision and specific objectives. This sets the foundation for all subsequent decisions and helps align stakeholders.

What to do: Craft a concise product vision statement and list 3-5 key objectives.
How to do it: Collaborate with leadership and key stakeholders to distil the essence of what the product aims to achieve.
Why it matters: A clear vision guides decision-making throughout the development process.
Expected outcome: A one-paragraph vision statement and a bullet list of measurable objectives.
Quality checks: Ensure the vision aligns with company strategy and objectives are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).

💡 Pro Tip:

Insight: Vision statements are often too vague.
Context: Teams struggle to make decisions when the vision lacks clarity.
Application: Use the format: "For [target customer] who [customer need], [product name] is a [product category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [competitors], our product [key differentiator]."
Impact: This structure ensures you cover all crucial elements of a strong vision statement.

Step 2: Identify Target Users and Use Cases

Clearly define who will use your product and how they will interact with it.

What to do: Create user personas and outline primary use cases.
How to do it: Analyse user research, conduct interviews, and map out typical user journeys.
Why it matters: Understanding your users ensures the product meets real needs and solves genuine problems.
Expected outcome: 2-3 detailed user personas and a list of prioritised use cases.
Quality checks: Validate personas and use cases with actual users or customer-facing teams.

📋 Step Checklist:

Prerequisites: User research data, access to customer-facing teams
Action items:
1. Draft user personas
2. List and prioritise use cases
3. Map user journeys
4. Validate with stakeholders
Validation: Review personas and use cases with product team
Next steps: Use these to inform feature prioritisation

Step 3: Outline Key Features and Functionality

Translate user needs into specific product features and functionality.

What to do: Create a comprehensive list of features, prioritised by importance and complexity.
How to do it: Use techniques like MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have) to categorise features.
Why it matters: This forms the core of what your development team will build.
Expected outcome: A prioritised feature list with brief descriptions for each item.
Quality checks: Ensure each feature ties back to user needs and product objectives.

🛠️ Tool Guide:

Tool name: ProductPlan
Purpose: Feature prioritisation and roadmap creation
Setup: Sign up online, import your feature list
Cost: Starts at £39/month per user
Integration: Connects with JIRA, Trello, and other project management tools

Step 4: Define User Stories and Acceptance Criteria

Break down features into user stories and specify acceptance criteria for each.

What to do: Write user stories in the format "As a [user type], I want [action] so that [benefit]" and define acceptance criteria.
How to do it: Collaborate with UX designers and developers to ensure stories are clear and testable.
Why it matters: User stories help the team understand the user's perspective and guide development.
Expected outcome: A list of user stories with associated acceptance criteria for each key feature.
Quality checks: Ensure stories are independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small, and testable (INVEST criteria).

⚠️ Warning:

Issue: Overly technical or solution-prescriptive user stories
Impact: Limits creativity and potential solutions from the development team
Prevention: Focus on user needs and desired outcomes rather than specific implementations
Recovery: Rewrite stories to emphasise the 'why' over the 'how'

Step 5: Specify Technical Requirements

Outline the technical specifications and constraints for implementing the features.

What to do: Document system architecture, data models, API requirements, and any technical constraints.
How to do it: Work closely with technical leads and architects to define these specifications.
Why it matters: Clear technical requirements reduce misunderstandings and development roadblocks.
Expected outcome: A technical specification section in your PRD, including diagrams where appropriate.
Quality checks: Review with the development team to ensure feasibility and clarity.

💡 Pro Tip:

Insight: Non-technical PMs often struggle with this section.
Context: Technical requirements are crucial for accurate estimation and implementation.
Application: If you're not technical, pair with a technical lead or architect to draft this section.
Impact: This collaboration ensures accuracy and builds trust with the development team.

Step 6: Create Wireframes or Mockups

Visualise key user interfaces and interactions to complement your written specifications.

What to do: Develop low-fidelity wireframes or mockups for critical user flows.
How to do it: Use wireframing tools or collaborate with UX designers to create visual representations.
Why it matters: Visual aids help stakeholders understand the user experience and can reveal usability issues early.
Expected outcome: A set of wireframes or mockups for key screens and user flows.
Quality checks: Ensure wireframes align with user stories and technical requirements.

🛠️ Tool Guide:

Tool name: Figma
Purpose: Collaborative design and wireframing
Setup: Create an account, invite team members
Cost: Free for up to 2 editors and 3 projects
Integration: Plugins available for various design and PM tools

Step 7: Define Success Metrics

Establish how you'll measure the success of your product or feature.

What to do: Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and set target values.
How to do it: Align metrics with product objectives and user needs. Consider both quantitative and qualitative measures.
Why it matters: Clear success metrics guide development priorities and help evaluate the product's impact.
Expected outcome: A list of KPIs with target values and measurement methods.
Quality checks: Ensure metrics are measurable and directly tied to product objectives.

✅ Success Criteria:

Expected outcome: 3-5 clearly defined KPIs with targets
Validation method: Review with data analytics team for feasibility
Quality check: Each KPI should be directly linked to a product objective
Timeline: Set measurement intervals (e.g., 1 month, 3 months post-launch)

Step 8: Outline Release Criteria and Timeline

Specify the conditions that must be met for the product to be released and provide a high-level timeline.

What to do: Define release criteria, including quality thresholds and critical features. Sketch a timeline with key milestones.
How to do it: Collaborate with QA, development, and other stakeholders to set realistic criteria and timelines.
Why it matters: Clear release criteria prevent premature launches and help manage expectations.
Expected outcome: A checklist of release criteria and a timeline with major milestones.
Quality checks: Ensure criteria are specific and measurable. Validate timeline feasibility with the development team.

📋 Step Checklist:

Prerequisites: Feature list, technical requirements, team capacity information
Action items:
1. Draft release criteria
2. Create high-level timeline
3. Identify key milestones
4. Review with stakeholders
Validation: Get sign-off from development lead and key stakeholders
Next steps: Use this to inform sprint planning and resource allocation

Step 9: Document Assumptions, Constraints, and Dependencies

Clearly state any assumptions made, constraints faced, and dependencies on other projects or teams.

What to do: List all significant assumptions, known constraints, and external dependencies.
How to do it: Review your PRD and consult with stakeholders to identify these elements.
Why it matters: Transparency about these factors helps manage risks and set realistic expectations.
Expected outcome: A section in your PRD detailing assumptions, constraints, and dependencies.
Quality checks: Validate each item with relevant stakeholders to ensure accuracy and completeness.

⚠️ Warning:

Issue: Hidden assumptions or undocumented dependencies
Impact: Can lead to unexpected delays or misaligned expectations
Prevention: Regularly review and update this section throughout the project
Recovery: If discovered late, communicate immediately and adjust plans accordingly

Step 10: Review and Iterate

Conduct a thorough review of your PRD with all key stakeholders and iterate based on feedback.

What to do: Share the PRD, gather feedback, and make necessary revisions.
How to do it: Schedule review sessions with different stakeholder groups (e.g., development, design, marketing, leadership).
Why it matters: Reviews ensure alignment, catch potential issues early, and improve the overall quality of the PRD.
Expected outcome: A refined PRD that has stakeholder buy-in and addresses all major concerns.
Quality checks: Ensure all feedback is addressed and changes are communicated clearly.

💡 Pro Tip:

Insight: PRDs often become outdated quickly.
Context: Product development is dynamic, with frequent changes and new information.
Application: Treat your PRD as a living document. Set up a regular review cadence (e.g., bi-weekly) to keep it updated.
Impact: This ensures the PRD remains a reliable reference throughout the development process.

Validation Checkpoints

To ensure your PRD is on track:

Conduct a stakeholder review after completing the first draft
Validate technical feasibility with the development team
Confirm alignment with company strategy with leadership
Test user stories and wireframes with potential users
Review success metrics with data analytics team
Conduct a final all-hands review before development kick-off

Use these checkpoints to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments. Document all review outcomes and resulting changes to maintain transparency.

Troubleshooting Guide

Common PRD problems and solutions:

Scope creep
- Problem: Features keep being added, bloating the PRD
- Solution: Rigorously apply prioritisation techniques and tie every feature to user needs and product objectives
Lack of stakeholder alignment
- Problem: Different stakeholders have conflicting visions for the product
- Solution: Conduct individual stakeholder interviews early, then facilitate a group alignment session
Technical feasibility issues
- Problem: Some requirements are technically challenging or impossible
- Solution: Involve technical leads early in the process and be open to alternative solutions
Unclear or unmeasurable success criteria
- Problem: Success metrics are vague or difficult to track
- Solution: Work with data analysts to refine metrics and ensure they're measurable with available tools
Outdated information
- Problem: The PRD becomes obsolete as the project progresses
- Solution: Implement a regular review and update process, treating the PRD as a living document

Advanced Considerations

As you become more experienced with PRDs, consider these advanced techniques:

Scaling for enterprise: For large organisations, consider creating a master PRD with linked sub-PRDs for complex products
Adapting to team size: Adjust the level of detail based on team size and structure. Larger teams may require more comprehensive PRDs
Industry-specific adaptations: Tailor your PRD format to industry norms (e.g., additional compliance sections for fintech or healthcare)
Technical depth: For highly technical products, consider including more detailed architecture diagrams or API specifications
Agile integration: If working in an agile environment, structure your PRD to easily translate into epic and story backlogs

Remember, the goal is to create a document that serves your team and product best. Be willing to adapt the format to meet specific needs.

Templates & Resources

To help you get started:

Recommended tools:
- Confluence for collaborative documentation
- JIRA for user story management
- Figma for wireframing and design
- ProductPlan for roadmapping

How to Write a Product Requirements Document (PRD) from Scratch

Table of contents

Introduction

Quick Reference Guide

Prerequisites

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Define Product Vision and Objectives

Step 2: Identify Target Users and Use Cases

Step 3: Outline Key Features and Functionality

Step 4: Define User Stories and Acceptance Criteria

Step 5: Specify Technical Requirements

Step 6: Create Wireframes or Mockups

Step 7: Define Success Metrics

Step 8: Outline Release Criteria and Timeline

Step 9: Document Assumptions, Constraints, and Dependencies

Step 10: Review and Iterate

Validation Checkpoints

Troubleshooting Guide

Advanced Considerations

Templates & Resources