BMAD-METHOD/bmad-agent/checklists/pm-checklist.md

Product Manager (PM) Requirements Checklist

This checklist serves as a comprehensive framework to ensure the Product Requirements Document (PRD) and Epic definitions are complete, well-structured, and appropriately scoped for MVP development. The PM should systematically work through each item during the product definition process.

1. PROBLEM DEFINITION & CONTEXT

1.1 Problem Statement

• Clear articulation of the problem being solved
• Identification of who experiences the problem
• Explanation of why solving this problem matters
• Quantification of problem impact (if possible)
• Differentiation from existing solutions

1.2 Business Goals & Success Metrics

• Specific, measurable business objectives defined
• Clear success metrics and KPIs established
• Metrics are tied to user and business value
• Baseline measurements identified (if applicable)
• Timeframe for achieving goals specified

1.3 User Research & Insights

• Target user personas clearly defined
• User needs and pain points documented
• User research findings summarized (if available)
• Competitive analysis included
• Market context provided

2. MVP SCOPE DEFINITION

2.1 Core Functionality

• Essential features clearly distinguished from nice-to-haves
• Features directly address defined problem statement
• Each Epic ties back to specific user needs
• Features and Stories are described from user perspective
• Minimum requirements for success defined

2.2 Scope Boundaries

• Clear articulation of what is OUT of scope
• Future enhancements section included
• Rationale for scope decisions documented
• MVP minimizes functionality while maximizing learning
• Scope has been reviewed and refined multiple times

2.3 MVP Validation Approach

• Method for testing MVP success defined
• Initial user feedback mechanisms planned
• Criteria for moving beyond MVP specified
• Learning goals for MVP articulated
• Timeline expectations set

3. USER EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

3.1 User Journeys & Flows

• Primary user flows documented
• Entry and exit points for each flow identified
• Decision points and branches mapped
• Critical path highlighted
• Edge cases considered

3.2 Usability Requirements

• Accessibility considerations documented
• Platform/device compatibility specified
• Performance expectations from user perspective defined
• Error handling and recovery approaches outlined
• User feedback mechanisms identified

3.3 UI Requirements

• Information architecture outlined
• Critical UI components identified
• Visual design guidelines referenced (if applicable)
• Content requirements specified
• High-level navigation structure defined

4. FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Feature Completeness

• All required features for MVP documented
• Features have clear, user-focused descriptions
• Feature priority/criticality indicated
• Requirements are testable and verifiable
• Dependencies between features identified

4.2 Requirements Quality

• Requirements are specific and unambiguous
• Requirements focus on WHAT not HOW
• Requirements use consistent terminology
• Complex requirements broken into simpler parts
• Technical jargon minimized or explained

4.3 User Stories & Acceptance Criteria

• Stories follow consistent format
• Acceptance criteria are testable
• Stories are sized appropriately (not too large)
• Stories are independent where possible
• Stories include necessary context
• Local testability requirements (e.g., via CLI) defined in ACs for relevant backend/data stories

5. NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Performance Requirements

• Response time expectations defined
• Throughput/capacity requirements specified
• Scalability needs documented
• Resource utilization constraints identified
• Load handling expectations set

5.2 Security & Compliance

• Data protection requirements specified
• Authentication/authorization needs defined
• Compliance requirements documented
• Security testing requirements outlined
• Privacy considerations addressed

5.3 Reliability & Resilience

• Availability requirements defined
• Backup and recovery needs documented
• Fault tolerance expectations set
• Error handling requirements specified
• Maintenance and support considerations included

5.4 Technical Constraints

• Platform/technology constraints documented
• Integration requirements outlined
• Third-party service dependencies identified
• Infrastructure requirements specified
• Development environment needs identified

6. EPIC & STORY STRUCTURE

6.1 Epic Definition

• Epics represent cohesive units of functionality
• Epics focus on user/business value delivery
• Epic goals clearly articulated
• Epics are sized appropriately for incremental delivery
• Epic sequence and dependencies identified

6.2 Story Breakdown

• Stories are broken down to appropriate size
• Stories have clear, independent value
• Stories include appropriate acceptance criteria
• Story dependencies and sequence documented
• Stories aligned with epic goals

6.3 First Epic Completeness

• First epic includes all necessary setup steps
• Project scaffolding and initialization addressed
• Core infrastructure setup included
• Development environment setup addressed
• Local testability established early

7. TECHNICAL GUIDANCE

7.1 Architecture Guidance

• Initial architecture direction provided
• Technical constraints clearly communicated
• Integration points identified
• Performance considerations highlighted
• Security requirements articulated
• Known areas of high complexity or technical risk flagged for architectural deep-dive

7.2 Technical Decision Framework

• Decision criteria for technical choices provided
• Trade-offs articulated for key decisions
• Rationale for selecting primary approach over considered alternatives documented (for key design/feature choices)
• Non-negotiable technical requirements highlighted
• Areas requiring technical investigation identified
• Guidance on technical debt approach provided

7.3 Implementation Considerations

• Development approach guidance provided
• Testing requirements articulated
• Deployment expectations set
• Monitoring needs identified
• Documentation requirements specified

8. CROSS-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

8.1 Data Requirements

• Data entities and relationships identified
• Data storage requirements specified
• Data quality requirements defined
• Data retention policies identified
• Data migration needs addressed (if applicable)
• Schema changes planned iteratively, tied to stories requiring them

8.2 Integration Requirements

• External system integrations identified
• API requirements documented
• Authentication for integrations specified
• Data exchange formats defined
• Integration testing requirements outlined

8.3 Operational Requirements

• Deployment frequency expectations set
• Environment requirements defined
• Monitoring and alerting needs identified
• Support requirements documented
• Performance monitoring approach specified

9. CLARITY & COMMUNICATION

9.1 Documentation Quality

• Documents use clear, consistent language
• Documents are well-structured and organized
• Technical terms are defined where necessary
• Diagrams/visuals included where helpful
• Documentation is versioned appropriately

9.2 Stakeholder Alignment

• Key stakeholders identified
• Stakeholder input incorporated
• Potential areas of disagreement addressed
• Communication plan for updates established
• Approval process defined

PRD & EPIC VALIDATION SUMMARY

Category Statuses

Category	Status	Critical Issues
1. Problem Definition & Context	PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL
2. MVP Scope Definition	PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL
3. User Experience Requirements	PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL
4. Functional Requirements	PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL
5. Non-Functional Requirements	PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL
6. Epic & Story Structure	PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL
7. Technical Guidance	PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL
8. Cross-Functional Requirements	PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL
9. Clarity & Communication	PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL

Critical Deficiencies

• List all critical issues that must be addressed before handoff to Architect

Recommendations

• Provide specific recommendations for addressing each deficiency

Final Decision

• READY FOR ARCHITECT: The PRD and epics are comprehensive, properly structured, and ready for architectural design.
• NEEDS REFINEMENT: The requirements documentation requires additional work to address the identified deficiencies.