61 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
61 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
# Product Brief Template
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This is a flexible guide for the executive product brief — adapt it to serve the product's story. Merge sections, add new ones, reorder as needed. The product determines the structure, not the template.
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## Sensible Default Structure
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```markdown
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# Product Brief: {Product Name}
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## Executive Summary
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[2-3 paragraph narrative: What is this? What problem does it solve? Why does it matter? Why now?
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This should be compelling enough to stand alone — if someone reads only this section, they should understand the vision.]
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## The Problem
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[What pain exists? Who feels it? How are they coping today? What's the cost of the status quo?
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Be specific — real scenarios, real frustrations, real consequences.]
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## The Solution
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[What are we building? How does it solve the problem?
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Focus on the experience and outcome, not the implementation.]
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## What Makes This Different
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[Key differentiators. Why this approach vs alternatives? What's the unfair advantage?
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Be honest — if the moat is execution speed, say so. Don't fabricate technical moats.]
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## Who This Serves
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[Primary users — vivid but brief. Who are they, what do they need, what does success look like for them?
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Secondary users if relevant.]
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## Success Criteria
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[How do we know this is working? What metrics matter?
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Mix of user success signals and business objectives. Be measurable.]
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## Scope
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[What's in for the first version? What's explicitly out?
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Keep this tight — it's a boundary document, not a feature list.]
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## Vision
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[Where does this go if it succeeds? What does it become in 2-3 years?
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Inspiring but grounded.]
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```
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## Adaptation Guidelines
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- **For B2B products:** Consider adding a "Buyer vs User" section if they're different people
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- **For platforms/marketplaces:** Consider a "Network Effects" or "Ecosystem" section
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- **For technical products:** May need a brief "Technical Approach" section (keep it high-level)
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- **For regulated industries:** Consider a "Compliance & Regulatory" section
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- **If scope is well-defined:** Merge "Scope" and "Vision" into "Roadmap Thinking"
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- **If the problem is well-known:** Shorten "The Problem" and expand "What Makes This Different"
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The brief should be 1-2 pages. If it's longer, you're putting in too much detail — that's what the distillate is for.
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