Product Manager (PM) Requirements Checklist

This checklist serves as a comprehensive framework to ensure the Product Requirements Document (PRD) and Epic definitions are complete, well-structured, and appropriately scoped for MVP development. The PM should systematically work through each item during the product definition process.

[[LLM: INITIALIZATION INSTRUCTIONS - PM CHECKLIST

Before proceeding with this checklist, ensure you have access to:

prd.md - The Product Requirements Document (check docs/prd.md)
Any user research, market analysis, or competitive analysis documents
Business goals and strategy documents
Any existing epic definitions or user stories

IMPORTANT: If the PRD is missing, immediately ask the user for its location or content before proceeding.

VALIDATION APPROACH:

User-Centric - Every requirement should tie back to user value
MVP Focus - Ensure scope is truly minimal while viable
Clarity - Requirements should be unambiguous and testable
Completeness - All aspects of the product vision are covered
Feasibility - Requirements are technically achievable

EXECUTION MODE: Ask the user if they want to work through the checklist:

Section by section (interactive mode) - Review each section, present findings, get confirmation before proceeding
All at once (comprehensive mode) - Complete full analysis and present comprehensive report at end]]

1. PROBLEM DEFINITION & CONTEXT

[[LLM: The foundation of any product is a clear problem statement. As you review this section:

Verify the problem is real and worth solving
Check that the target audience is specific, not "everyone"
Ensure success metrics are measurable, not vague aspirations
Look for evidence of user research, not just assumptions
Confirm the problem-solution fit is logical]]

1.1 Problem Statement

Clear articulation of the problem being solved
Identification of who experiences the problem
Explanation of why solving this problem matters
Quantification of problem impact (if possible)
Differentiation from existing solutions

1.2 Business Goals & Success Metrics

Specific, measurable business objectives defined
Clear success metrics and KPIs established
Metrics are tied to user and business value
Baseline measurements identified (if applicable)
Timeframe for achieving goals specified

1.3 User Research & Insights

Target user personas clearly defined
User needs and pain points documented
User research findings summarized (if available)
Competitive analysis included
Market context provided

2. MVP SCOPE DEFINITION

[[LLM: MVP scope is critical - too much and you waste resources, too little and you can't validate. Check:

Is this truly minimal? Challenge every feature
Does each feature directly address the core problem?
Are "nice-to-haves" clearly separated from "must-haves"?
Is the rationale for inclusion/exclusion documented?
Can you ship this in the target timeframe?]]

2.1 Core Functionality

Essential features clearly distinguished from nice-to-haves
Features directly address defined problem statement
Each Epic ties back to specific user needs
Features and Stories are described from user perspective
Minimum requirements for success defined

2.2 Scope Boundaries

Clear articulation of what is OUT of scope
Future enhancements section included
Rationale for scope decisions documented
MVP minimizes functionality while maximizing learning
Scope has been reviewed and refined multiple times

2.3 MVP Validation Approach

Method for testing MVP success defined
Initial user feedback mechanisms planned
Criteria for moving beyond MVP specified
Learning goals for MVP articulated
Timeline expectations set

3. USER EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

[[LLM: UX requirements bridge user needs and technical implementation. Validate:

User flows cover the primary use cases completely
Edge cases are identified (even if deferred)
Accessibility isn't an afterthought
Performance expectations are realistic
Error states and recovery are planned]]

3.1 User Journeys & Flows

Primary user flows documented
Entry and exit points for each flow identified
Decision points and branches mapped
Critical path highlighted
Edge cases considered

3.2 Usability Requirements

Accessibility considerations documented
Platform/device compatibility specified
Performance expectations from user perspective defined
Error handling and recovery approaches outlined
User feedback mechanisms identified

3.3 UI Requirements

Information architecture outlined
Critical UI components identified
Visual design guidelines referenced (if applicable)
Content requirements specified
High-level navigation structure defined

4. FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

[[LLM: Functional requirements must be clear enough for implementation. Check:

Requirements focus on WHAT not HOW (no implementation details)
Each requirement is testable (how would QA verify it?)
Dependencies are explicit (what needs to be built first?)
Requirements use consistent terminology
Complex features are broken into manageable pieces]]

4.1 Feature Completeness

All required features for MVP documented
Features have clear, user-focused descriptions
Feature priority/criticality indicated
Requirements are testable and verifiable
Dependencies between features identified

4.2 Requirements Quality

Requirements are specific and unambiguous
Requirements focus on WHAT not HOW
Requirements use consistent terminology
Complex requirements broken into simpler parts
Technical jargon minimized or explained

4.3 User Stories & Acceptance Criteria

Stories follow consistent format
Acceptance criteria are testable
Stories are sized appropriately (not too large)
Stories are independent where possible
Stories include necessary context
Local testability requirements (e.g., via CLI) defined in ACs for relevant backend/data stories

5. NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Performance Requirements

Response time expectations defined
Throughput/capacity requirements specified
Scalability needs documented
Resource utilization constraints identified
Load handling expectations set

5.2 Security & Compliance

Data protection requirements specified
Authentication/authorization needs defined
Compliance requirements documented
Security testing requirements outlined
Privacy considerations addressed

5.3 Reliability & Resilience

Availability requirements defined
Backup and recovery needs documented
Fault tolerance expectations set
Error handling requirements specified
Maintenance and support considerations included

5.4 Technical Constraints

Platform/technology constraints documented
Integration requirements outlined
Third-party service dependencies identified
Infrastructure requirements specified
Development environment needs identified

6. EPIC & STORY STRUCTURE

6.1 Epic Definition

Epics represent cohesive units of functionality
Epics focus on user/business value delivery
Epic goals clearly articulated
Epics are sized appropriately for incremental delivery
Epic sequence and dependencies identified

6.2 Story Breakdown

Stories are broken down to appropriate size
Stories have clear, independent value
Stories include appropriate acceptance criteria
Story dependencies and sequence documented
Stories aligned with epic goals

6.3 First Epic Completeness

First epic includes all necessary setup steps
Project scaffolding and initialization addressed
Core infrastructure setup included
Development environment setup addressed
Local testability established early

7. TECHNICAL GUIDANCE

7.1 Architecture Guidance

Initial architecture direction provided
Technical constraints clearly communicated
Integration points identified
Performance considerations highlighted
Security requirements articulated
Known areas of high complexity or technical risk flagged for architectural deep-dive

7.2 Technical Decision Framework

Decision criteria for technical choices provided
Trade-offs articulated for key decisions
Rationale for selecting primary approach over considered alternatives documented (for key design/feature choices)
Non-negotiable technical requirements highlighted
Areas requiring technical investigation identified
Guidance on technical debt approach provided

7.3 Implementation Considerations

Development approach guidance provided
Testing requirements articulated
Deployment expectations set
Monitoring needs identified
Documentation requirements specified

8. CROSS-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

8.1 Data Requirements

Data entities and relationships identified
Data storage requirements specified
Data quality requirements defined
Data retention policies identified
Data migration needs addressed (if applicable)
Schema changes planned iteratively, tied to stories requiring them

8.2 Integration Requirements

External system integrations identified
API requirements documented
Authentication for integrations specified
Data exchange formats defined
Integration testing requirements outlined

8.3 Operational Requirements

Deployment frequency expectations set
Environment requirements defined
Monitoring and alerting needs identified
Support requirements documented
Performance monitoring approach specified

9. CLARITY & COMMUNICATION

9.1 Documentation Quality

Documents use clear, consistent language
Documents are well-structured and organized
Technical terms are defined where necessary
Diagrams/visuals included where helpful
Documentation is versioned appropriately

9.2 Stakeholder Alignment

Key stakeholders identified
Stakeholder input incorporated
Potential areas of disagreement addressed
Communication plan for updates established
Approval process defined

PRD & EPIC VALIDATION SUMMARY

[[LLM: FINAL PM CHECKLIST REPORT GENERATION

Create a comprehensive validation report that includes:

Executive Summary
- Overall PRD completeness (percentage)
- MVP scope appropriateness (Too Large/Just Right/Too Small)
- Readiness for architecture phase (Ready/Nearly Ready/Not Ready)
- Most critical gaps or concerns
Category Analysis Table Fill in the actual table with:
- Status: PASS (90%+ complete), PARTIAL (60-89%), FAIL (<60%)
- Critical Issues: Specific problems that block progress
Top Issues by Priority
- BLOCKERS: Must fix before architect can proceed
- HIGH: Should fix for quality
- MEDIUM: Would improve clarity
- LOW: Nice to have
MVP Scope Assessment
- Features that might be cut for true MVP
- Missing features that are essential
- Complexity concerns
- Timeline realism
Technical Readiness
- Clarity of technical constraints
- Identified technical risks
- Areas needing architect investigation
Recommendations
- Specific actions to address each blocker
- Suggested improvements
- Next steps

After presenting the report, ask if the user wants:

Detailed analysis of any failed sections
Suggestions for improving specific areas
Help with refining MVP scope]]

Category Statuses

Category	Status	Critical Issues
1. Problem Definition & Context	TBD
2. MVP Scope Definition	TBD
3. User Experience Requirements	TBD
4. Functional Requirements	TBD
5. Non-Functional Requirements	TBD
6. Epic & Story Structure	TBD
7. Technical Guidance	TBD
8. Cross-Functional Requirements	TBD
9. Clarity & Communication	TBD

Critical Deficiencies

(To be populated during validation)

Recommendations