Microsoft’s PRD Template

Microsoft has a well-defined product requirements document (PRD) template that follows a structured approach to product development. The PRD template consists of several sections, each of which has its own purpose and helps the product team to document their ideas, objectives, and requirements clearly.

The executive summary section provides a high-level overview of the product, including its purpose, benefits, and target audience. It serves as a quick reference guide for stakeholders who may not have time to read the entire document.

The competitive analysis section includes an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of similar products in the market. This section helps the product team to identify gaps in the market and develop features that differentiate their product from the competition.

The assumptions section lists all the assumptions made about the product, the market, and the users. This section ensures that the product team has a clear understanding of their assumptions, which can be tested and validated during the development process.

The goals and non-goals section outlines the objectives and outcomes that the product team wants to achieve through the product. This section helps the team to focus on their priorities and ensures that everyone is working towards the same goals. Non-goals are also important to define, as they help the team to avoid scope creep and stay on track.

The customers, use cases, and scenarios section describes the target audience for the product, their needs, and how they will use the product. This section helps the team to understand their customers and design a product that meets their needs.

The feature descriptions section includes a detailed description of each feature of the product. This section helps the product team to break down the product into smaller components and ensures that each feature is aligned with the goals and objectives of the product.

The success metrics section outlines the key performance indicators (KPIs) that the product team will use to measure the success of the product. This section ensures that the team has a clear understanding of what success looks like and how it will be measured.

The release criteria section defines the criteria that the product must meet before it can be released. This section helps the team to ensure that the product meets the required quality standards and is ready for release.

Overall, Microsoft's PRD template provides a structured approach to product development that helps the team to document their ideas, objectives, and requirements clearly. By following this template, the team can develop products that meet the needs of their customers and achieve their business goals.

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