prd-workflow
PRD Workflow - Feature Planning
Current branch: !git branch --show-current 2>/dev/null || echo "not in git repo"
Existing plans: !ls plans/ 2>/dev/null | head -5 || echo "none"
The PRD (Product Requirements Document) workflow transforms ideas into atomic, implementable stories through structured interview, research, and specification.
When to Use PRD Workflow
- Starting a new feature from scratch
- Turning a vague idea into concrete tasks
- Need thorough requirements gathering
- Want AI-assisted research and review
The 4-Phase Approach
| Phase | Name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Input Classification | Identify feature name and type |
| 2 | Interview + Exploration | Gather requirements, then run research/expert agents |
| 3 | Spec Write | Create specification with Implementation Stories section |
| 4 | Dex Handoff | Parse stories into Dex tasks |
Key Change: Research and expert agents run after interview completes (blocking). Findings are reviewed before spec writing.
Starting the Workflow
/prd "Add user authentication" # From idea
/prd path/to/existing/code # From codebase
/prd # Interactive discovery
Phase 2: Interview + Exploration
Commitment: "I will ask 8-10+ questions covering: core problem, success criteria, MVP scope, technical constraints, UX flows, edge cases, error states, and tradeoffs."
Interview (8-10+ questions)
Cover these areas:
- Core problem, success criteria, MVP scope
- Technical systems, data models, existing patterns
- UX/UI flows, error states, edge cases
- Tradeoffs, compromises, priorities
Focus on non-obvious details that will bite during implementation.
After Interview, Run Agents (blocking)
Spawn ALL agents in parallel (user waits ~2-3 min):
Research Agents:
prd-codebase-researcher- Existing patterns, files to modifygit-history-analyzer- Prior attempts, why patterns evolvedprd-external-researcher- Best practices, code examples
Expert Agents:
architecture-strategist- System design concernssecurity-sentinel- Auth, data exposure risksspec-flow-analyzer- User journeys, missing flowspattern-recognition-specialist- Codebase consistency
Review Findings
Summarize key findings. Ask clarifying questions if gaps revealed.
Phase 3: Spec Structure
Write to plans/<feature>/spec.md with this structure:
# <Feature> Specification
## Overview
## Problem Statement
## Success Criteria
## User Stories
## Detailed Requirements
## Technical Design
## Edge Cases & Error Handling
## Open Questions
## Out of Scope
## Implementation Stories
### Story 1: <Title>
**Category:** functional|ui|integration|edge-case|performance
**Skills:** <skill-name>, <skill-name>
**Blocked by:** none
**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Criterion 1
- [ ] Criterion 2
## Research Findings
## Expert Review Findings
Story Atomization Rules
Commitment: "Each story will have ≤7 acceptance criteria, touch ≤3 files, be independently testable, and have no 'and' in title."
Each story must be completable in ONE task (~15-30 min):
- Max 7 acceptance criteria - If more, split the story
- Max 3 files touched - If more, consider splitting
- No "and" in title - "User can X and Y" = two stories
- Independently testable - Can verify in isolation
- Cleanly revertible - Can undo without cascade
Phase 4: Dex Handoff
Use dex plan to automatically create tasks from the spec:
dex plan plans/<feature>/spec.md
This automatically:
- Creates parent task from spec title
- Analyzes Implementation Stories section
- Generates subtasks with proper hierarchy
- Sets blocked-by relationships from "Blocked by:" lines
Verify tasks created:
dex status
dex list
After PRD Completion
Use Dex for execution:
dex status # Dashboard view
dex list --ready # See unblocked tasks
dex start <id> # Claim a task
/complete <id> # Run reviewers and complete
Command Reference
/prd "feature description" # Start from idea
/prd path/to/code # Start from codebase
/cancel-prd # Cancel in-progress PRD
Related Commands
/complete- Complete task with reviewer workflowdex list- View pending tasksdex sync- Sync with GitHub issues