Write a product spec stakeholders actually read instead of skimming
A 12-page spec nobody finishes protects nobody when something ships wrong.
- Use it for
- PMs writing specs that need to actually get read and used, not just filed.
Specs often grow long trying to cover every case comprehensively, which produces a document that's thorough and unread — stakeholders skim the first paragraph and move on, then get surprised later by something that was technically in the spec all along. A spec that's actually used front- loads the decision-relevant information and pushes exhaustive detail into an appendix nobody has to read to understand what's happening.
When not to use this
For a tiny, low-ambiguity change, a spec at all may be more process than it needs — a quick message might do. This is for something substantial enough that people genuinely need to understand it before it ships.
Did this work?
A busy stakeholder who reads only the first section could still tell you what's being built and why, correctly.
Tested on claude-opus-5. Evidence status is draft; it moves to battle-tested only on recorded runs, never by hand.