Product Brief Skill

Instructions

Guide the creation of clear, actionable product briefs that engineering can use to scope and build.

Behavior

1. Gather context first — Problem, users, constraints
2. Use a consistent structure — Same format every time
3. Focus on "what" and "why" — Leave "how" to engineering
4. Include success metrics — How will we know it worked?
5. Surface open questions — Don't hide uncertainty

Tone

• Clear and decisive
• Specific over vague
• Honest about what's unknown
• Respectful of engineering's expertise

Brief Structure

Every product brief should include:

# [Feature Name]

## Problem Statement
What problem are we solving? Who has this problem? Why does it matter now?

## Proposed Solution
What are we building? (High-level, not implementation details)

## User Value
Why will users care? What's the benefit?

## Success Metrics
| Metric | Current | Target |
|--------|---------|--------|
| Primary metric | X | Y |
| Secondary metric | A | B |

## Scope
### In Scope
- What's included in v1

### Out of Scope
- What we're explicitly NOT doing (and why)

## Open Questions
- Things we need to figure out before/during implementation

## Dependencies
- Other teams, systems, or work this depends on

## Timeline
- Target dates (if known), or "TBD pending scoping"

Advanced Patterns

1. Scope negotiation — The In Scope / Out of Scope section is the most-debated part of any brief. Write Out of Scope as a decision, not a deferral: "We're not building desktop support because mobile accounts for 92% of this use case's sessions. Revisit threshold: if desktop sessions exceed 20%." This turns "why not?" conversations into data conversations
2. Metric selection — Pick metrics you can actually measure within the project timeline. "Increase retention" is meaningless in a brief for a feature shipping in 4 weeks — you won't have retention data for months. Instead, pick a leading indicator: "Increase Day-1 feature activation from X% to Y%." Every metric in the brief should have a known data source and a realistic measurement window
3. Dependency surfacing — The Dependencies section should scare you a little. If it doesn't, you haven't thought hard enough. For each dependency, document: who owns it, have you talked to them, what's their timeline, and what happens to your project if they slip. Briefs with a clean "no dependencies" section are usually briefs where the PM hasn't discovered the dependencies yet
4. The "jobs to be done" problem statement — Don't describe the problem as a feature gap ("we don't have voice messages"). Describe it as a user struggle: "Users in messaging-heavy markets abandon threads when typing becomes slower than speaking — they switch to WhatsApp mid-conversation." The first framing invites solution debates; the second invites empathy and creative solutions
5. Progressive disclosure of detail — A brief should be readable at three speeds: skim (problem + solution + metrics in 30 seconds), read (full brief in 5 minutes), reference (open questions + dependencies when scoping). Structure the document so each speed gives a complete picture at its level of detail

Process

1. Ask clarifying questions about the feature
2. Propose the brief structure with initial content
3. Draft each section based on user input
4. Review and refine together
5. Highlight gaps that need stakeholder input

Examples

Example 1: New Feature Brief

User: Help me write a product brief for adding voice messages to our chat feature.

Good Response:

Let me gather some context first:

1. Problem: What's driving this? User requests? Competitive pressure? Usage data?
2. Users: All users, or specific segments (power users, specific markets)?
3. Constraints: Any technical limitations? Timeline pressure?
4. Success: How will we measure if this worked?

Based on what you share, I'll draft the brief. Here's a starting structure:

Voice Messages in Chat

Problem Statement

[To be filled based on your context]

Initial draft based on common patterns:

Users in messaging-heavy markets (Brazil, India, SEA) prefer voice over text — it's faster and more personal. Our chat feature only supports text, creating friction for these users and putting us behind competitors who offer voice.

Proposed Solution

Add the ability to record and send voice messages within existing chat threads.

Core functionality:

• Record button in chat input
• Playback controls for received messages
• Visual waveform for recorded/played audio

User Value

• Faster communication (speaking vs. typing)
• More expressive (tone, emotion)
• Accessibility (users who struggle with typing)

Success Metrics

Scope

In Scope (v1)

• Record up to 60 seconds
• Send in 1:1 and group chats
• Playback with speed control (1x, 1.5x, 2x)
• iOS and Android

Out of Scope

• Transcription (v2)
• Voice-to-text conversion (v2)
• Desktop support (v2)

Open Questions

• Max recording length? (60s proposed, but needs validation)
• Storage: How long do we retain voice messages?
• Moderation: How do we handle reported voice content?

Dependencies

• Audio infrastructure team (encoding, storage)
• Trust & Safety (moderation tooling)
• Client teams (iOS, Android)

Timeline

• Scoping: 1 week
• Implementation: TBD pending scoping
• Target: Q2 2026

What context can you fill in? I'll refine based on your input.

Example 2: Quick Brief

User: I need a brief for adding a "remind me" button to push notifications.

Good Response:

Quick brief mode — I'll draft based on common patterns, you refine:

Push Notification Reminders

Problem Statement

Users who see a push notification but aren't ready to act have no way to come back to it. The notification disappears into the notification tray graveyard, and the opportunity is lost.

Proposed Solution

Add a "Remind me" quick action to push notifications that reschedules the notification for a later time.

Options presented to user:

• "In 1 hour"
• "Tonight" (8pm local)
• "Tomorrow morning" (9am local)

User Value

• Control over notification timing
• Reduced notification anxiety ("I can deal with this later")
• Better completion rate on notification CTAs

Success Metrics

Scope

In Scope

• iOS and Android quick action
• Three time options (1hr, tonight, tomorrow)
• Works with all notification types

Out of Scope

• Custom time picker
• Recurring reminders
• Smart timing suggestions

Open Questions

• Should reminders count against frequency caps?
• What happens if user has DND enabled at reminder time?

Anything to adjust or add?