Your Guide to a Product Requirements Document
You might have stumbled upon some advice in vibe coding subreddits telling you to start your no code project with a “PRD.”
If you’re new to all this, that acronym might sound a little intimidating, maybe even like something only seasoned developers use – which they do. But don’t worry!
We’re here to tell you that a PRD (Product Requirements Document) is nothing to be afraid of, especially when you’re just venturing into AI-powered no-code builders.
Think of this post as your friendly welcome to the world of no-code planning. We know you’re chomping at the bit to jump in and start creating, and that’s awesome! But taking a little time upfront to think things through can save you a lot of headaches (and definitely saves you frustration with the AI Agent) down the road.
So, let’s demystify the PRD and see how it will become your secret weapon for vibe coding success.
What Exactly is a PRD?
Imagine you’re planning to build your dream house. You’d probably work with an architect who would create a blueprint. This blueprint outlines everything about your house: how many rooms it will have, where the doors and windows will go, what kind of materials will be used, and so on.
A Product Requirements Document (PRD) is very similar to that blueprint, but instead of a house, it’s for your no-code project.
In simple terms, a PRD is a document that outlines everything you want your no-code application to do and how it should work.
Think of it like a detailed recipe for your app. Just like a good recipe tells you all the ingredients you need and the steps to follow, a PRD tells you all the “ingredients” (features, goals, users) of your app and the “steps” (how it should function) to bring it to life.
The most important thing to remember is that a PRD is simply a way to organize your thoughts and ideas about your no-code project before you start building. It’s like getting all those brilliant ideas swirling in your head down on paper (or in a digital document) in a clear and structured way.
Need Help Structuring Your PRD? Our Opichi PRD Refinery Tool automatically includes all the developer jargon for you. Just enter your app idea and our app includes the rest!
How to Create a PRD
Now let’s look at some of the key sections you’d typically include when creating a PRD.
You don’t need to feel like you have to include every single key section below for your first no-code project, especially if it’s a personal one. Start with the basics and you can always add more detail as you go.
- Goal/Objective: This is the “why” behind your app. What problem are you trying to solve? What do you want your app to achieve? For example, maybe you want to build an app to help you track your daily water intake, or perhaps an app to organize your book collection. Clearly defining your goal will keep you focused.
- Target Audience: Who are you building this app for? Who is going to use it? What are their needs and expectations? If you’re building an app for yourself, you’re the target audience! But if you plan to share it with others, think about who they are and what they would want from your app.
- Key Features: These are the essential things your app needs to be able to do. Think about the core functionalities.
For our water tracker app, key features might include:
- Allowing users to log the amount of water they drink.
- Displaying a daily progress bar.
- Setting daily water intake goals.
- Potentially sending reminders to drink water.
User Stories (Optional but helpful):
User stories are a simple way to describe what a user wants to be able to do with your app from their perspective. They usually follow a format like: “As a [type of user], I want to be able to [action] so that [benefit].”
For our water tracker, some user stories could be:
- “As a user, I want to be able to log the amount of water I drink so that I can track my daily intake.”
- “As a user, I want to be able to set a daily water intake goal so that I can stay motivated.”
Non-Functional Requirements: These are about how your app should perform, rather than what it should do. For beginners, you can think about things like:
- Usability: How easy should the app be to use? Should it be intuitive and straightforward?
- Performance: Should the app load quickly? Should it be responsive?
Success Metrics: How will you know if your app is successful? This could be things like the number of people who use your app, how often they use it, or if they are achieving their goals (like drinking more water!).
Why Does the AI need a PRD?
Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, this sounds like a lot of hard work. Is it really necessary for my simple no-code project?” And the answer is a resounding yes!
Here’s why having a PRD is incredibly valuable, especially when you’re using AI no-code builders:
- Clarity and Focus: Writing down your ideas in a structured way forces you to think them through (this is something AI cannot do for you – it’s logical, not creative). It helps you solidify your vision and avoid getting sidetracked by too many features early on. This is especially helpful when you’re excited and have tons of ideas!
- Communication (Even with Yourself!): Even if you think you’re the only one working on your project right now, you’re not. The AI Agent is working with you and while it might not be sentient, you do need to communicate with it to do what you want. Your PRD acts as a central source of truth. It’s easy to forget details as you go, so having everything written down helps you stay on track. If you ever decide to collaborate with others in the future, a PRD becomes essential for clear communication.
- Efficiency: While it might seem like extra work upfront, having a plan will likely save you time and effort in the long run. You’ll be less likely to build features you don’t need (or more accurately, the AI will be less likely to build feature you don’t need) or have to redo things because you didn’t think them through properly.
- Guiding AI Builders: Think of your AI no-code builder as a super overly enthusiastic assistant. Even the best assistant needs clear instructions, or else they start doing things they assume you want done that you definitely didn’t want done and you were paying them either way. Your PRD acts as that set of instructions. By clearly outlining your goals, features, and how you want your app to work, you’re giving the AI a much better understanding of your needs. This will help the AI suggest relevant components, design the user interface effectively, and ultimately build the app you envisioned. Without a clear PRD, the AI might make assumptions that don’t align with your vision.
- Reduces Misunderstandings: Just like with human collaborators, a well-defined PRD helps to reduce misunderstandings between you and the AI builder. Clear descriptions of features and functionalities leave less room for interpretation, leading to a more accurate and satisfying result.
How to Upload a PRD to Your Vibe Code Project
This is way easier than you think. The first option is to just use our free PRD Refinery tool at prd.opichi.ai. You fill out your key sections, generate the PRD, and the tool automatically creates a .md file complete with helpful developer jargon for you to download
The second option is to open your notebook on your computer. Yep, the plain text notebook that only types in courier font. You know the one.
Type in everything you want your app to do. Also be sure to include “create a changelog and document all changes, debugs, and feature adds” into the PRD. This is important because when the project starts to go off track (you know, best laid plans…), by instructing the AI to create a changelog, you can roll back to a version that was working as you wanted it to when something goes wrong.
When you go to save your PRD, add .md to the end of your document name and change the ‘save file as’ dropdown from ‘.txt’ to ‘All files’. That format is a “markdown” file. AI Agents love markdown files.
When you open your no code project, begin a new chat with the AI Agent. Upload the PRD.md and tell the AI Agent what it is and to always refer to it before beginning anything new on your project. You will be astounded at how quickly it will start building what you want right out of the gate!
Now You’re Ready to Start!
You’re ready to start vibe coding! Remember, taking a little time to create a PRD is like laying a strong foundation for your no-code creation. It doesn’t need to be a super formal document with hundreds of pages, especially for your initial projects. Start with the basics, focus on clarity, and don’t be afraid to iterate on your PRD as your understanding of your project evolves.
Think of it as a living document that you can revisit and update as needed. The goal is to have a clear roadmap that guides you and your AI agent to build something amazing. Embrace the planning stage, create your PRD, and get ready to unlock the full potential of no-code! You’ve got this!
