# Product Brief Template

This is a flexible guide for the executive product brief — adapt it to serve the product's story. Merge sections, add new ones, reorder as needed. The product determines the structure, not the template.

## Sensible Default Structure

```markdown
# Product Brief: {Product Name}

## Executive Summary

[2-3 paragraph narrative: What is this? What problem does it solve? Why does it matter? Why now?
This should be compelling enough to stand alone — if someone reads only this section, they should understand the vision.]

## The Problem

[What pain exists? Who feels it? How are they coping today? What's the cost of the status quo?
Be specific — real scenarios, real frustrations, real consequences.]

## The Solution

[What are we building? How does it solve the problem?
Focus on the experience and outcome, not the implementation.]

## What Makes This Different

[Key differentiators. Why this approach vs alternatives? What's the unfair advantage?
Be honest — if the moat is execution speed, say so. Don't fabricate technical moats.]

## Who This Serves

[Primary users — vivid but brief. Who are they, what do they need, what does success look like for them?
Secondary users if relevant.]

## Success Criteria

[How do we know this is working? What metrics matter?
Mix of user success signals and business objectives. Be measurable.]

## Scope

[What's in for the first version? What's explicitly out?
Keep this tight — it's a boundary document, not a feature list.]

## Vision

[Where does this go if it succeeds? What does it become in 2-3 years?
Inspiring but grounded.]
```

## Adaptation Guidelines

- **For B2B products:** Consider adding a "Buyer vs User" section if they're different people
- **For platforms/marketplaces:** Consider a "Network Effects" or "Ecosystem" section
- **For technical products:** May need a brief "Technical Approach" section (keep it high-level)
- **For regulated industries:** Consider a "Compliance & Regulatory" section
- **If scope is well-defined:** Merge "Scope" and "Vision" into "Roadmap Thinking"
- **If the problem is well-known:** Shorten "The Problem" and expand "What Makes This Different"

The brief should be 1-2 pages. If it's longer, you're putting in too much detail — that's what the distillate is for.