The PRFAQ

What it is

A PRFAQ is a one-page press release plus a set of frequently asked questions, written as though the product had already launched. It is the core artifact of Working Backwards. A team writes it after answering the five Working Backwards questions about the customer.

Structure

1. 1
   The press release

   The press release is one page long, written in language a customer would use, and dated in the future. It should be clear from it who the customer is, what problem we focus on, the vision for the solution and what’s most important for the customer. If the draft still relies on internal vocabulary, the team has more thinking to do.

2. 2
   Customer FAQs

   These are the questions a customer would ask about using the product, such as what it does, what it costs them, what changes for them, and what happens when it goes wrong.

3. 3
   Stakeholder FAQs

   These are the questions your own organization will ask, such as what evidence supports the demand, what it costs to build and run, what it competes with internally, what the risks are, and what has to be true for it to work.

How it is used

The document is written for other people to read and challenge. It might be tough to hear those challenges, but it helps you get clarity and design a stronger solution for a real problem. In our engagements the readout is a scheduled event with a decision attached: proceed, refine, run a specific experiment, or stop.

If the press release is not exciting to read, the team should question whether the idea is worth building.

What we deliver

Engagements that include PRFAQ work leave you with the completed documents, the workshop companion job aid, and a prompt set for drafting and critiquing PRFAQs in the AI tools your own organization has approved.