# PRD Quick Reference

## PRD Sections Checklist

| Section | Purpose | Key Questions |
|---------|---------|---------------|
| Problem Statement | User pain, not solution | Who? What pain? Why does it matter? |
| Goals | What we will achieve | What outcomes? For whom? |
| Non-Goals | What we won't do | What's out of scope? |
| Success Metrics | Measurable outcomes | Baseline? Target? Timeframe? |
| User Stories | Use cases | As a / I want / So that |
| Scope | In/out, phases | What's in v1? What's later? |
| Open Questions | Known unknowns | What do we still need to learn? |

## Problem vs Solution

| Problem ✓ | Solution ✗ |
|-----------|-----------|
| "Users can't find key actions" | "We need a search bar" |
| "Eye strain in low-light" | "Add dark mode" |
| "Too many steps to complete task" | "Add a wizard" |

## JTBD Template

```
When [situation/circumstance],
I want to [motivation/goal],
so I can [outcome/benefit].
```

**Example:** When I'm reviewing a long PR, I want to quickly spot high-risk files, so I can focus my review where it matters.

## Success Metric Template

```
[Metric name]: [Baseline] → [Target] by [Date]
```

**Example:** Time-to-first-value: 14 days → 7 days by end of Q2

## Common Anti-Patterns

| Anti-Pattern | Fix |
|--------------|-----|
| Solution-first | Start with problem, not feature |
| Vague metrics | Add baseline, target, timeframe |
| No non-goals | List 3–5 explicit out-of-scope items |
| Missing open questions | Capture unknowns and risks |
| Waterfall rigidity | Treat PRD as living doc, iterate |

## PRD Lifecycle (Mermaid)

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  A[Problem] --> B[Research]
  B --> C[PRD]
  C --> D[Review]
  D --> E[Build]
```

## Minimal PRD Template

```markdown
# [Feature Name]
## Problem
[2–3 sentences: who, what, why]
## Goals
- ...
## Non-Goals
- ...
## Success Metrics
- [Metric]: [Baseline] → [Target] by [Date]
## User Stories
- As a [persona], I want [action], so that [outcome]
## Open Questions
- ...
```