specification-techniques

# Specification Techniques

Structured methods for translating product vision into clear, actionable requirements that align teams, reduce ambiguity, and enable successful execution.

## Overview

Specification techniques help you answer "what" and "why" clearly while leaving "how" flexible for the team to determine. They create shared understanding without being prescriptive about implementation.

**Core Principle:** The value of specifications isn't in comprehensive documentation—it's in the conversations and shared understanding they create. A 3-sentence user story that everyone understands is better than a 30-page spec no one reads.

**Origin:** Modern specification techniques evolved from software engineering (Karl Wiegers), agile methodologies (Mike Cohn), and design thinking (Alan Cooper).

**Key Insight:** Good specifications enable teams to build the right thing, while bad specifications constrain teams and lead to rework.

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## When to Use This Skill

**Auto-loaded by agents**:
- `requirements-engineer` - For PRDs, user stories, acceptance criteria, and NFRs

**Use when you need to**:
- Write product requirements documents (PRDs)
- Create user stories with acceptance criteria
- Define feature requirements clearly
- Document edge cases and error handling
- Specify non-functional requirements (performance, security)
- Align cross-functional teams on scope
- Translate product vision into development tasks

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## Product Requirements Documents (PRDs)

### Core Structure

A well-structured PRD contains:

1. **Overview** - Problem, goals, non-goals, success metrics
2. **Background** - Context, user research, competitive analysis
3. **User Personas** - Primary/secondary users, use cases
4. **Requirements** - Functional and non-functional requirements
5. **User Experience** - Flows, wireframes, interaction details
6. **Technical Considerations** - Architecture, APIs, performance
7. **Success Criteria** - Launch criteria, key metrics
8. **Timeline & Resources*