PRDs in an Agile World

“We’re agile, we don’t write PRDs.”

I’ve heard this dozens of times. And I understand the sentiment—nobody wants to return to the days of 50-page specifications that were outdated before the first sprint ended.

But here’s the thing: the Agile Manifesto says “working software over comprehensive documentation.” It doesn’t say “no documentation.”

The Documentation Spectrum

There’s a spectrum between “no documentation” and “comprehensive documentation.” Most teams oscillate between extremes:

No Documentation → Stories get misinterpreted, decisions get forgotten, new team members struggle to onboard, the same discussions happen repeatedly.

Over-Documentation → Teams spend more time writing specs than building, documents are outdated immediately, nobody reads them anyway.

The goal is to find the right balance for your context.

When You Need a PRD in Agile

Not every feature needs a PRD. Here’s when you do need one:

Complex Features

If a feature spans multiple sprints and affects multiple systems, you need alignment documentation. Without it, different team members will make inconsistent decisions.

Cross-Team Dependencies

When multiple teams need to coordinate, a PRD creates a shared understanding. “Read the PRD” is more efficient than scheduling another alignment meeting.

Strategic Initiatives

For major product bets, you need to document the thinking. Why did we choose this approach? What alternatives did we consider? What are we optimizing for?

Regulated Environments

Some industries require documentation for compliance. Healthcare, finance, government—you may not have a choice.

Remote/Distributed Teams

When you can’t tap someone on the shoulder to ask a question, documentation becomes critical.

When You Don’t Need a PRD

Small Features

If it fits in a sprint and the team understands it, a user story is enough.

Experiments

When you’re testing a hypothesis, over-specifying defeats the purpose. Define the experiment, run it, learn.

Bug Fixes

The ticket is the documentation.

Obvious Changes

If everyone knows what needs to happen, writing it down is pure overhead.

The Agile PRD

An agile PRD is different from a traditional PRD:

Traditional PRD	Agile PRD
Comprehensive upfront	Just enough, just in time
Fixed document	Living document
Detailed specifications	Goals and constraints
Prescriptive	Descriptive
Written then forgotten	Continuously referenced

Key Principles

1. Start Lean, Add Detail as Needed

Begin with a one-pager. Add detail only when questions arise or when the team needs more clarity.

2. Focus on Problems, Not Solutions

Define what success looks like, not how to get there. Let the team figure out the implementation.

3. Keep It Current

A PRD that doesn’t match reality is worse than no PRD. Update it as you learn.

4. Make It Accessible

Store it where the team works. Link to it from stories. Reference it in standups.

5. Version It

When things change, version the document. You’ll thank yourself later.

A Lightweight PRD Template for Agile

## Overview
What we're building in one paragraph.

## Problem
What problem this solves and for whom.

## Success Metrics
How we'll measure success.

## Scope
What's in scope (P0, P1, P2 priorities).

## Out of Scope
What's explicitly not included.

## Key Decisions
Important decisions and their rationale.

## Open Questions
Things we still need to figure out.

## Status
Last updated, current phase, next steps.

That’s it. One page. Add sections only when needed.

Integrating PRDs with Agile Ceremonies

Sprint Planning

Reference the PRD when pulling stories from the backlog. “This story relates to the notification feature in the PRD. The context is…”

Daily Standups

When blockers arise, check if the PRD addresses them. If not, update the PRD.

Refinement

Use the PRD to frame refinement discussions. “We’re about to detail the stories for this PRD section…”

Retrospectives

Include documentation in retrospectives. “Did we have the right level of documentation? What was missing?”

Sprint Reviews

Show progress against the PRD goals. Update success metrics with actuals.

The PRD Life Cycle in Agile

Phase 1: Concept (Before Commitment)

Purpose: Get alignment on whether to pursue

Contents: Problem, hypothesis, rough scope, expected value

Length: 1 page

Phase 2: Definition (Before Building)

Purpose: Align team on what we’re building

Contents: Goals, success metrics, scope, key decisions, major user stories

Length: 1-3 pages

Phase 3: Active Development (During Sprints)

Purpose: Keep team aligned as we learn

Contents: Updated scope, resolved questions, changed decisions

Frequency: Updated every sprint

Phase 4: Complete (After Launch)

Purpose: Capture learnings for the future

Contents: What shipped, how it performed, lessons learned

Action: Archive and reference

Common Objections

”This feels like waterfall”

It’s not waterfall if:

• You don’t require complete specs before starting
• You update the document as you learn
• You allow scope to flex based on discoveries

Waterfall is a process. PRDs are a tool. Tools don’t dictate process.

”We have user stories, we don’t need PRDs”

User stories are great for sprint-level work. PRDs are for feature-level context. They serve different purposes.

Stories answer “what does the user do?” PRDs answer “why does it matter and how does it fit together?"

"Nobody reads them anyway”

If nobody reads your PRDs, ask why:

• Are they too long?
• Are they stored somewhere inaccessible?
• Are they outdated?
• Are they never referenced in team discussions?

The problem might not be PRDs—it might be how you’re using them.

”They slow us down”

Bad documentation slows you down. Good documentation speeds you up by:

• Reducing misalignment
• Preventing rework
• Answering questions asynchronously
• Onboarding new team members faster

Tools for Agile PRDs

AI tools like Thig.ai are particularly well-suited for agile PRDs because they:

1. Generate documents quickly: Less time writing, more time building
2. Make updates easy: Chat to update, don’t manually edit
3. Keep things concise: AI can summarize and trim
4. Prompt for gaps: AI asks questions you might miss

Conclusion

PRDs and agile aren’t enemies. Documentation and agility can coexist.

The question isn’t “should we write PRDs?” It’s “what’s the right level of documentation for this situation?”

Be pragmatic:

• Document complex work
• Keep it lean
• Update as you learn
• Reference it actively

The best PRD is one that helps your team build the right thing. No more, no less.

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