Framework
| Doc | Purpose | Audience | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope (PRD) | What are we building? | Everyone | High-level feature, success criteria |
| Technical spec | How are we building it? | Engineering | Implementation details, architecture |
Many teams confuse them. Result: PRDs that are too technical, or technical specs that are too vague.
Approach
1. Start with Short PRD (1-2 pages)
- Problem
- User need
- Success criteria
- Constraints
2. Engineering Writes Technical Spec (5-10 pages)
- Architecture
- API design
- Data structures
- Implementation strategy
3. Link Them Together
PRD says "what"; Tech spec says "how". Readers can jump between them.
Key Takeaways
- Don't let PRDs become architecture documents. Stick to what + why.
- Let engineers own the how. That's where their expertise shows.