Before anything is created, the first job is to precisely define the product. This involves reaching a consensus among all stakeholders – sales, engineering, management, product, and marketing teams – on a singular product definition. While this sounds simple in theory, it’s far more challenging in practice.

When discussing a product, it’s not limited to the physical aspects that we can see and touch. The physical aspect is just one part of a product; there are many other features which when all combined together make it a standalone product.

These features can include embedded software, serial numbers, license keys, backup or recovery mechanisms, printed documentation, accessories or ancillaries, regulatory compliance certificates and, most importantly(!), packaging and labels.

A comprehensive set of product requirements must encompass all these features, detailing precisely what the makes up the product for it to be functional, saleable and provide value to the customer. This ensures that the product’s requirements are clearly defined and understood before you start developing it. Time spent aligning on the product’s features upfront can save you a fortune later.

In a previous article, we emphasised the importance of envisioning the customer using and benefiting from the product or solution. Beginning with this end goal helps maintain a customer-centric focus throughout the product definition process. Following that same approach here can help define product in three steps.

Step 1 – User Requirements

The initial document defines the product from the customer’s perspective:

• How does the customer derive value from your product?
• What are the primary use cases of the product?
• Who are the ‘actors’ involved in the product’s journey?
• Are there any non-negotiable customer requirements?

Step 2 – Product Specifications

The second document delves into the specifics necessary to make the product:

• What exactly does the product need to do?
• What is the product’s architecture or layout?
• What are its core features and functions?
• What are the prerequisites for manufacturing and installation?
• What are the quality and reliability requirements?
• What are the applicable regulatory and compliance laws?

Step 3 – Review, agree and sign-off

Spolier alert: this is the hardest part:

• Are all stakeholders in agreement about the user’s requirements and use cases?
• Do all stakeholders concur about the product specification?
• If not, where do opinions differ, and why?
• Are there any overly complex or unclear aspects of the product?
• Are there any features that require clarification or are missing?

Guiding principles

The precise content of these documents will vary based on individual circumstances, including the idea, product, industry or market and business model. However, several guiding principles can streamline the process:

• A good set of use cases or user requirements can be summed up in just one or two pages; diagrams and sketches are often the best way to convey the value.
• Prioritise primary use cases over obscure corner cases or unlikely scenarios that could inflate complexity and costs with minimal benefit for the customer.
• Organize the product requirements into sections that mirror the essential aspects of the product.
• Minimize technical jargon as best you can, try to make it readable to a non-technical audience or somebody who is unfamiliar with your product or business.
• Embrace uncertainty by leaving sections blank until more information becomes available.
• When using TLAs (three letter acronyms), ensure they are clearly defined to avoid any confusion.