prd-scope-and-acceptance

Overview

Create a decision-complete PRD that defines why the work matters, what is in scope, what is out of scope, and how success will be accepted.

Inputs

Collect:

• business objective and target user
• current state and known constraints
• timeline, budget, and staffing limits
• dependencies and external approvals

Workflow

1. Define the problem and desired outcome in one paragraph.
2. Define the target user segments and primary use cases.
3. Split scope into in scope and out of scope with explicit boundaries.
4. Write functional requirements as testable statements.
5. Write non-functional requirements (security, reliability, latency, compliance) only where required.
6. Convert success into acceptance criteria using Given/When/Then or equivalent testable format.
7. List risks, assumptions, open questions, and mitigation owners.
8. Produce implementation handoff notes for engineering, QA, and launch operations.

Deliverables

Produce:

• PRD document
• scope boundary table (in, out, deferred)
• acceptance criteria matrix mapped to requirements
• non-goals list
• assumptions and risk register

Quality Bar

Accept the PRD only when:

• every requirement has at least one acceptance criterion
• scope boundaries are explicit and non-overlapping
• assumptions and dependencies have owners
• an engineer can implement without making product decisions

Resources

• references/prd-template.md