asankarasubramanian/product-brief

Product Brief

Write concise, executive-level briefs that earn a decision in one read.

Core Principles

1. Lead with the bet. State what you're proposing and why in the first two sentences.
2. Executives scan, not read. Bold key numbers and decisions. Use bullets. No walls of text.
3. Answer "so what?" immediately. Every section should connect to business impact.
4. Be honest about risks. Executives trust PMs who name risks upfront, not those who hide them.
5. One page. No exceptions. If it's longer, you haven't distilled it enough.

Brief Structure

# [Initiative Name]

## The Bet
[2-3 sentences: what we're proposing, for whom, and the expected impact.]

## Why Now
- [Market trigger, competitive pressure, customer signal, or strategic window]
- [What happens if we don't act]

## How It Works
[3-5 bullet points describing the approach — not implementation details, but the user-facing concept. What changes for the customer?]

## Success Metrics
| Metric | Current | Target | Timeline |
|--------|---------|--------|----------|
| [Primary KPI] | [baseline] | [goal] | [when] |
| [Secondary KPI] | [baseline] | [goal] | [when] |

## Investment
- **Team:** [headcount or team needed]
- **Timeline:** [estimated duration]
- **Dependencies:** [key blockers or prerequisites]

## Risks & Mitigations
| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|------|-----------|------------|
| [Risk 1] | High/Med/Low | [What we'll do] |
| [Risk 2] | High/Med/Low | [What we'll do] |

## Ask
[What decision you need from leadership. Be specific: fund, approve, greenlight pilot, etc.]

Writing Process

1. Ask the user what they're briefing (feature, initiative, investment)
2. Gather context: problem, audience, data, constraints
3. Draft using the structure above
4. Cut ruthlessly — if a sentence doesn't drive toward the ask, delete it
5. Ensure every number is specific, not vague ("40% reduction" not "significant improvement")

Tone Calibration for Executives

• Confident, not salesy. State facts and recommendations — don't oversell.
• Specific, not abstract. "$2M ARR risk" not "significant revenue impact."
• Direct, not hedging. "We recommend X" not "We think X might be worth considering."
• Short sentences. If a sentence has a comma, it probably needs to be two sentences.

What NOT to Do

• Don't include implementation details (APIs, architecture, sprint plans)
• Don't use jargon the exec audience doesn't use daily
• Don't bury the ask at the bottom — state it early, repeat it at the end
• Don't present options without a recommendation
• Don't leave metrics without baselines — "improve retention" means nothing without a number