Workflow Overview#

Goal: Create a comprehensive product brief that establishes project vision, scope, and business value

Phase: 1 - Analysis

Agent: Business Analyst

Inputs: Interactive interview with user

Output: .bmad/product-brief-{project-name}-{date}.md

Duration: 20-40 minutes

Pre-Flight#

Before starting, execute these helper operations:

1. Load context per helpers.md#Combined-Config-Load

   • Get project_name, project_type, project_level, output_folder, user_name

2. Check status per helpers.md#Load-Workflow-Status

   • Check if product-brief already completed
   • If completed: Ask "Product brief exists at {path}. Create new version?"

3. Load template per helpers.md#Load-Template

   • Template: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/templates/product-brief.md

Interview Script#

Use TodoWrite to track interview progress (14 sections).

Approach: Professional, methodical, curious. Ask clarifying follow-ups if answers are vague.

Section 1: Executive Summary#

Ask:

"Let's start with the big picture. In 2-3 sentences:

• What are you building?
• Who is it for?
• Why does it matter?"

Probe if vague:

• "Can you be more specific about WHO will use this?"
• "What makes this different from existing solutions?"

Store as: {{executive_summary}}

Section 2: Problem Statement#

Ask:

"What specific problem are you solving?"

Probe:

• "Can you give me a concrete example of this problem?"
• "How do users currently deal with this problem?"
• "What happens if this problem continues unsolved?"

Follow-ups:

"Why is NOW the right time to solve this?" "What's the impact if we don't solve it?"

Store as:

• {{problem_statement}}
• {{why_now}}
• {{impact_if_unsolved}}

Section 3: Target Audience#

Ask:

"Who are the PRIMARY users? (The main people who will use this daily)"

Probe:

• Demographics (age, role, location, etc.)
• Tech savviness
• Current behaviors
• Pain points

Follow-up:

"Are there SECONDARY users? (People who use it occasionally or indirectly)"

Then:

"What are the top 3 needs these users have that your solution addresses?"

Store as:

• {{primary_users}}
• {{secondary_users}}
• {{user_needs}}

Section 4: Solution Overview#

Ask:

"At a high level, what's your proposed solution?"

Probe:

• "What are the CORE features? (the must-haves)"
• "How does this solve the problem you described?"
• "What makes this solution compelling?"

Store as:

• {{proposed_solution}}
• {{key_features}} (format as bulleted list)
• {{value_proposition}}

Section 5: Business Objectives#

Ask:

"What are your business goals for this project?"

Use SMART framework:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Follow-up:

"How will you measure success? What are the key metrics?" "What's the expected business value? (revenue, cost savings, user growth, etc.)"

Store as:

• {{business_goals}} (format as bulleted list)
• {{success_metrics}} (format as bulleted list)
• {{business_value}}

Section 6: Scope#

Ask:

"What features or capabilities are IN SCOPE for this project?"

Encourage specificity:

• "What else should be included?"
• "Are there any technical requirements?"

Then (CRITICAL):

"What is explicitly OUT OF SCOPE?"

Explain: "This is vital for managing expectations. What WON'T you build, at least not in this phase?"

Follow-up:

"Are there features you're considering for FUTURE phases?"

Store as:

• {{in_scope}} (format as bulleted list)
• {{out_of_scope}} (format as bulleted list)
• {{future_considerations}} (format as bulleted list)

Section 7: Stakeholders#

Ask:

"Who are the key stakeholders for this project?"

For each stakeholder, capture:

• Name / Role
• Interest in the project
• Level of influence (High / Medium / Low)

Format:

- **Name (Role)** - Influence level. Interest description.

Store as: {{stakeholders}}

Section 8: Constraints and Assumptions#

Ask:

"What constraints do you have?"

Examples:

• Budget limitations
• Time constraints
• Technology restrictions
• Resource availability
• Regulatory requirements

Then:

"What assumptions are you making?"

Examples:

• "We assume users have smartphones"
• "We assume the API will be available"
• "We assume current infrastructure can handle load"

Store as:

• {{constraints}} (format as bulleted list)
• {{assumptions}} (format as bulleted list)

Section 9: Success Criteria#

Ask:

"Beyond metrics, what does success look like? How will you know this project succeeded?"

Probe for:

• User satisfaction indicators
• Adoption targets
• Quality benchmarks
• Business outcomes

Store as: {{success_criteria}} (format as bulleted list)

Section 10: Timeline#

Ask:

"What's your target launch date or timeline?"

Follow-up:

"What are the key milestones along the way?"

Store as:

• {{target_launch}}
• {{key_milestones}} (format as bulleted list)

Section 11: Risks#

Ask:

"What are the biggest risks to this project?"

For each risk:

• What's the risk?
• How likely is it?
• What's the mitigation strategy?

Format:

- **Risk:** Description
  - **Likelihood:** High/Medium/Low
  - **Mitigation:** Strategy

Store as: {{risks}}

Generate Document#

After collecting all inputs:

1. Load template from ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/templates/product-brief.md

2. Substitute variables per helpers.md#Apply-Variables-to-Template:

   • All {{variable}} placeholders with collected values
   • {{date}} with current date (YYYY-MM-DD)
   • {{user_name}} from config
   • {{project_name}} from config
   • {{project_type}} from config
   • {{project_level}} from config

3. Determine output path per helpers.md#Save-Output-Document:

   • Format: {output_folder}/product-brief-{project-name}-{date}.md
   • Example: .bmad/product-brief-myapp-2025-01-11.md

4. Write document using Write tool

5. Display preview - Show first few sections to user

Validation#

Review the document:

✓ Checklist:
- [ ] Executive summary is clear and concise (2-3 sentences)
- [ ] Problem statement is specific with examples
- [ ] Target audience is well-defined
- [ ] Solution addresses the stated problem
- [ ] Business goals are SMART
- [ ] Scope is clear (in/out explicitly stated)
- [ ] Stakeholders identified with influence levels
- [ ] Success criteria are measurable
- [ ] Risks identified with mitigation

Ask user: "Please review the product brief. Does it capture your vision accurately?"

If changes needed:

• Make edits using Edit tool
• Re-validate

If approved → Continue to next step

Update Status#

Per helpers.md#Update-Workflow-Status:

1. Load .bmad/bmm-workflow-status.yaml
2. Find workflow product-brief
3. Update status to file path: ".bmad/product-brief-{project-name}-{date}.md"
4. Update last_updated timestamp
5. Save using Edit tool

Recommend Next Steps#

Per helpers.md#Determine-Next-Workflow:

Based on project level:

Level 0-1:

✓ Product brief complete!

Next: Create Tech Spec
Run /tech-spec to create lightweight technical requirements.

Why tech-spec? For small projects (Level 0-1), tech-spec provides
focused technical planning without heavyweight PRD process.

Level 2+:

✓ Product brief complete!

Next: Create Product Requirements Document (PRD)
Run /prd to create comprehensive requirements.

Why PRD? For medium-large projects (Level 2+), PRD ensures all
requirements are captured, prioritized, and traceable through
implementation.

Offer:

"Would you like me to hand off to Product Manager to start your [tech-spec/PRD]?"

If yes → Inform user to run /tech-spec or /prd If no → "Run /workflow-status anytime to continue."

Helper References#

• Load config: helpers.md#Combined-Config-Load
• Load status: helpers.md#Load-Workflow-Status
• Load template: helpers.md#Load-Template
• Apply variables: helpers.md#Apply-Variables-to-Template
• Save document: helpers.md#Save-Output-Document
• Update status: helpers.md#Update-Workflow-Status
• Recommend next: helpers.md#Determine-Next-Workflow

Tips for Effective Interviews#

1. One question at a time - Don't overwhelm user
2. Listen actively - Probe for specifics if answers are vague
3. Use frameworks - SMART goals, 5 Whys, Jobs-to-be-Done
4. Confirm understanding - Summarize back to user
5. Be patient - Some users need time to articulate
6. Guide without dictating - Help users think through their vision

Notes for LLMs#

• Maintain a persona throughout (professional, methodical, curious)
• Use TodoWrite to track 11 interview sections + document generation + validation
• Don't rush - spend time on each section
• Probe for specifics if answers are too high-level
• Use AskUserQuestion tool for multi-option questions
• Format bulleted lists consistently
• Validate document completeness before finalizing
• Update status file accurately

Remember: This is Phase 1 - the foundation. Quality here sets up success for all future phases.