What Are These Spec Templates Used For?

If you’re a Product Manager or Product Owner, you’re probably familiar with PM terms such as PRDs and spec documents. It’s a vital document for effective communication on what to build, why to build it, and the business (and customer) impact of one’s work.

It provides a clear understanding of the product requirements, features, and functionalities, acting as a communication tool between stakeholders, developers, and the entire product team. They help set expectations, prioritize features, and prevent misunderstandings, leading to smoother development cycles and successful product launches.

And without further ado, let’s go over a few different templates that you could use as you’re writing your first, or hundredth, spec PRD. 

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1. Product Requirements Document (PRD) from Product School 

This template from Product School offers a comprehensive guide for writing a PRD, including a step-by-step process and a template to get started.

2. The Ultimate Collection of PRD Templates from Edo van Royen

Edo’s collection features a variety of PRD templates used by top teams, including templates from Miro, Asana, Intercom, Seatgeek, Figma, Google, Microsoft, Uber, and Lean UX Canvas. It’s a great list! 

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3. Product Requirements Document (PRD): Examples, Templates, and Best Practices from Leland 

This article from the team at Leland provides examples, templates, and best practices for creating an effective PRD, ensuring a clear understanding of requirements for successful product development.

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4. Product Requirements Document Template from ProjectManager.com 

If you use Word, this would be perfect for you. ProjectManager.com offers a free PRD template for Word, providing a comprehensive outline to ensure all product requirements are covered, including scope, purpose, customers, and more.

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5. PRD (Product Requirement Document) Template from monday.com

The team from monday.com definitely knows what they’re doing. This template helps ensure a shared understanding among the development team and external stakeholders. It covers the product's purpose, audience, features, and use cases.

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Wrapping Up

Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) are indispensable tools for Product Managers and Product Owners. They provide clarity, alignment, and a roadmap for successful product development. 

Check any of these templates out. It’s important to test them out. Ultimately it’s up to you as to how you want to communicate this information with your team. Templates are just templates; make them your own!

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