Product Requirements Brief (PRD Lite)

The 80/20 PRD. Lightweight but drives clarity.

What This Is

A simplified, practical product requirements document that focuses on the essentials. Full PRDs can be 20+ pages and rarely get read. This version captures what actually matters: the problem, the user, the solution, and how we'll know it works.

1. Problem We're Solving

As a [type of user], I want [action/capability], so that [benefit/value].
Describe the customer pain point or opportunity in plain language
Evidence that this problem exists and is worth solving

2. Who This Is For (and Who It's NOT For)

Who will use this? Be specific about personas, use cases, or segments
Who is this NOT designed for? Being clear about this prevents scope creep

3. Proposed Solution

High-level description of the solution
Why this approach vs. alternatives?

4. Success Criteria

How we'll know it works

Define measurable success metrics before you build. This prevents post-launch arguments about whether it was successful.

Things that shouldn't get worse

5. User Flow

Walk through what the user does, sees, and experiences
List main screens, modals, or states the user will encounter

6. Functional Requirements

Requirement Priority Notes

7. Edge Cases & Constraints

What happens in unusual scenarios?

8. Open Questions

List anything that's unclear or needs discussion

9. Dependencies & Risks

What else needs to happen for this to work?
What could go wrong?

10. Launch Approach

11. Approvals

Stakeholder Role Name Status
Product Lead Approver
Engineering Lead Approver
Design Lead Approver
Customer Success Consulted
Marketing Informed

12. Ready to Build?