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What Should a PRD Contain? Start With Who's Reading It

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# What Should a PRD Contain? Start With Who's Reading It

There are countless templates for PRDs—but most miss the most important question: Who are you writing it for?

A Product Requirements Document isn't just a checklist. It's a communication tool. And like any good communication, it needs to speak directly to its audience.

The Audience Question

Before you open that template, ask yourself: *Who exactly is going to read this PRD?*

Your PRD will likely reach multiple stakeholders—each with different needs:

Solution Architects need technical approach details
Product Designers need user personas and experience goals
Tech Leads need data requirements and API integration specifics
Product Owners need release phases and milestones
QA Teams need success metrics and validation criteria

The 8 Essential Elements

A well-crafted PRD should contain enough detail for each stakeholder to create their individual plans and estimates:

Problem Statement: The core issue your product solves. *Owned by Product Manager.*
Goal of the Product: Purpose and desired outcome. *Owned by Product Manager.*
User Persona: Target audience identification and their needs. *Owned by UX Designer.*
Technical Overview: Data requirements, API integration needs. *Owned by Engineering Lead.*
Solution Overview: Summarize the approach. *Owned by Solution Architect.*
Success Metrics: Define measurable goals for success. *Owned by Product Analyst.*
Releases/Phases: Break the product into manageable milestones. *Owned by Product Owner.*

The Bottom Line

A PRD isn't about following a format—it's about enabling your team to execute. Write it for the people who need to act on it, not just for the people who need to approve it.

The best PRDs are living documents that evolve with your product. Start with clarity on your audience, and the rest will follow.

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Background

Vinit skipped presentations and built real AI products.

Vinit Gujarathi was part of the August 2025 cohort at Curious PM, alongside 15 other talented participants.