Cursor rule

1---
2description: "Guide for creating Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) with AI assistance, including clarifying questions and structured documentation process"
3globs:
4alwaysApply: false
5---
6# Rule: Generating a Product Requirements Document (PRD)
7 
8<goal>
9To guide an AI assistant in creating a detailed Product Requirements Document (PRD) in Markdown format, based on an initial user prompt. The PRD should be comprehensive, focusing on user needs, functional requirements, and business goals to clearly define *what* to build and *why*.
10</goal>
11 
12## Template Reference
13 
14<template_reference>
15**ALWAYS use the standardized PRD template:** tasks/docs/_prd-template.md
16 
17This template provides a comprehensive structure that balances requirements gathering with rollout planning, ensuring consistency across all PRDs in the project.
18</template_reference>
19 
20## Process
21 
22<process_workflow>
231. **Receive Initial Prompt:** The user provides a brief description or request for a new feature or functionality.
24 
252. **Ask Clarifying Questions:** Before writing the PRD, the AI *must* ask clarifying questions to gather sufficient detail. Focus on understanding the "what" and "why" of the feature, user needs, and success criteria.
26 
27**MANDATORY PLANNING STEPS:**
283. **Create PRD Planning with Zen Planner:** Use zen's planner tool to create a comprehensive PRD development plan:
29   - Analyze the enriched feature specification requirements
30   - Break down PRD creation into logical planning steps
31   - Identify key sections that need focused attention
32   - Plan resource allocation and approach for each section
33   - Document assumptions and dependencies that will guide PRD creation
34 
354. **Validate Planning with Consensus:** Use zen's consensus tool with o3 and gemini 2.5 models:
36   - Present the detailed PRD planning approach to both expert models
37   - Request critical analysis of the planning strategy
38   - Gather feedback on plan completeness and effectiveness
39   - Incorporate consensus recommendations into final planning approach
40   - Proceed only after receiving aligned approval from both expert models
41 
42**PRD CREATION WORKFLOW:**
435. **Generate Comprehensive PRD (Functionality-Focused):** Using the template, produce a PRD that captures user and business requirements plus high-level product scope **without including low-level technical design or implementation details** – those belong in the Tech Spec.
446. **Create Feature Folder:** Instruct to create a feature folder `./tasks/prd-[feature-slug]/`.
457. **Save PRD:** Save the generated document as `_prd.md` inside the feature folder.
46</process_workflow>
47 
48## Clarifying Questions (Examples)
49 
50<clarifying_questions_guidance>
51The AI should adapt its questions based on the prompt and template sections. Here are key areas to explore:
52 
53**Problem & Goals:**
54- "What problem does this feature solve for the user?"
55- "What are the specific, measurable goals we want to achieve?"
56- "How will we measure success?"
57 
58**Users & Stories:**
59- "Who is the primary user of this feature?"
60- "Can you provide user stories? (As a [type of user], I want to [action] so that [benefit])"
61- "What are the key user flows and interactions?"
62 
63**Core Functionality:**
64- "What are the essential features that must be included in the MVP?"
65- "Can you describe the key actions a user should be able to perform?"
66- "What data does this feature need to display or manipulate?"
67 
68**Technical Constraints (acceptance criteria only – describe *what* must be met, not *how* to meet it):**
69- "Are there any existing systems this needs to integrate with?"
70- "What are the performance thresholds or security requirements? (e.g., must handle X users, must comply with Y standard)"
71- "Are there any technical constraints that limit what can be built?"
72- Note: Capture only acceptance-criteria level thresholds; defer solution approaches to Tech Spec
73 
74**Scope & Planning:**
75- "What should this feature NOT do (non-goals)?"
76- "How should development be phased for incremental delivery?"
77- "What are the dependencies between different parts of this feature?"
78 
79**Risks & Challenges:**
80- "What are the biggest risks or challenges you foresee?"
81- "Are there any unknowns that need research before implementation?"
82- "What could prevent this feature from being successful?"
83 
84**Design & Experience:**
85- "Are there any design mockups or UI guidelines to follow?"
86- "What accessibility requirements should be considered?"
87- "How should this feature integrate with the existing user experience?"
88</clarifying_questions_guidance>
89 
90## PRD Structure Requirements
91 
92<prd_structure_requirements>
93The generated PRD MUST follow the template structure from @_prd-template.md:
94 
951. **Overview:** Problem statement, target users, and value proposition
962. **Goals:** Specific, measurable objectives and business outcomes
973. **User Stories:** Detailed narratives covering primary and edge case scenarios
984. **Core Features:** Main functionality with detailed functional requirements
995. **User Experience:** User journeys, flows, UI/UX considerations, and accessibility
1006. **High-Level Technical Constraints:** Integration points, compliance mandates, performance thresholds (avoid architectural diagrams or code-level solutions)
1017. **Non-Goals (Out of Scope):** Clear boundaries and excluded features
1028. **Phased Rollout Plan:** User-facing milestones with MVP and enhancement stages
1039. **Success Metrics:** Measurable outcomes for user engagement and business impact
10410. **Risks and Mitigations:** Potential challenges and response strategies
10511. **Open Questions:** Unresolved items requiring further clarification
10612. **Appendix:** Supporting materials, research, and reference documentation
107</prd_structure_requirements>
108 
109## Content Guidelines
110 
111<content_guidelines>
112**Target Audience:** Assume readers include both **junior developers** and **project stakeholders**. Requirements should be:
113- Explicit and unambiguous
114- Detailed enough for implementation
115- Strategic enough for decision-making
116- Avoid technical jargon without explanation
117 
118**Functional Requirements:** Use clear, actionable language:
119- "The system must allow users to..."
120- "Users should be able to..."
121- Number requirements for easy reference
122 
123**Delivery Considerations (high-level only):** Balance user needs with practical rollout:
124- Consider MVP vs. full feature scope from a user value perspective
125- Plan for incremental delivery of user value
126- Identify which features deliver the most user/business value first
127- Note: Detailed technical sequencing and dependencies belong in the Tech Spec
128 
129**Separation of Concerns:**
130- Keep the PRD centered on *what* the product should achieve, not *how* it will be built
131- Capture only high-level technical constraints (e.g., required throughput, compliance mandates); defer architectural or code-level solutions to the Tech Spec
132- If detailed design ideas arise, note them as TODOs for the Tech Spec author or move them to an appendix reference rather than the main PRD body
133 
134**Document Size Guidelines:**
135- Target a maximum length of ~3,000 words (≈7–8 pages)
136- Prefer concise bullet points, tables, and links to external references over verbose narrative paragraphs
137- Offload large data sets, research studies, or extended examples to appendices or separate reference documents to keep the core PRD lightweight
138</content_guidelines>
139 
140<output_specification>
141- **Format:** Markdown (`.md`)
142- **Location:** `./tasks/prd-[feature-slug]/`
143- **Filename:** `_prd.md`
144- **Template:** Use @_prd-template.md structure
145</output_specification>
146 
147## Workflow Instructions
148 
149<workflow_instructions>
1501. **ALWAYS** ask clarifying questions first to gather comprehensive information
1512. **MUST THEN** use zen's planner tool to create comprehensive PRD development plan
1523. **MUST VALIDATE** planning approach using zen's consensus tool with o3 and gemini 2.5 models
1534. **DO NOT** proceed to PRD creation without completing both mandatory planning steps
1545. **USE** the standardized template structure for consistency
1556. **FOCUS** on comprehensive user and business requirements; defer implementation planning to the Tech Spec
1567. **ENSURE** the PRD is actionable for both development and project management
1578. **ITERATE** on the PRD based on user feedback and additional clarification
158</workflow_instructions>
159 
160## Quality Checklist
161 
162<quality_checklist>
163Before finalizing the PRD, ensure:
164 
165**Planning Validation:**
166- [ ] Used zen's planner tool to create comprehensive PRD development plan
167- [ ] Validated planning approach with zen's consensus tool using o3 and gemini 2.5 models
168- [ ] Incorporated consensus recommendations into final planning approach
169- [ ] Received aligned approval from both expert models before proceeding
170 
171**PRD Content Quality:**
172- [ ] All template sections are completed with relevant information
173- [ ] User stories cover primary flows and edge cases
174- [ ] Functional requirements are numbered and specific
175- [ ] High-level constraints (e.g., required integrations, compliance) are defined
176- [ ] Phased rollout plan shows clear user-facing milestones and product-level dependencies
177- [ ] Success metrics are measurable and relevant
178- [ ] Risks are identified with mitigation strategies
179- [ ] Open questions capture any remaining uncertainties
180- [ ] Document is ≤ 3,000 words (core sections) – move overflow to Appendix
181- [ ] No technical implementation details or architecture decisions included
182</quality_checklist>
183