The Fog of Development: Why Clarity is Your Only Weapon Against Failure

Andrew Talbot

Andrew Talbot

— 2 min read

In Product Management, there is a dangerous lie we tell ourselves: "The developers will figure it out."

If you hand a developer a vague requirement like "make it user-friendly," you aren't empowering them; you are confusing them. In the high-stakes world of Enterprise B2B software, ambiguity is expensive. It leads to missed deadlines, bloated budgets, and products that nobody wants to use.

Your job as a PM isn't just to have ideas; it is to translate those ideas into Clear Requirements. Think of requirements as the contract between your vision and the code. If the contract is fuzzy, you’re going to get sued (metaphorically... and sometimes literally).

Here is how to write requirements that actually get built.

Part 1: The Anatomy of a Good Requirement

A bad requirement is an opinion. A good requirement is an instruction.

The "ERP Reporting" Example:

  • The Bad Requirement: "Improve reporting capabilities."
    • Why it fails: "Improve" is subjective. Does that mean faster? Prettier? More data?
  • The Good Requirement: "Enhance the reporting module to include real-time financial dashboards, accessible only to Department Heads."
    • Why it works: It defines the Feature (Dashboards), the Data (Real-time financial), and the User (Department Heads).

The "Supply Chain" Example:

  • The Bad Requirement: "Notify users about stock."
  • The Good Requirement: "Send an automated email to the Procurement Team when inventory drops below 10%."

Rule of Thumb: If a developer has to guess what you mean, rewrite it.

Part 2: The Three Pitfalls of Ambiguity

Why do we care? Because bad requirements create a domino effect of disaster.

  1. Scope Creep: This is the silent killer. You ask for "messaging," and suddenly the team is building a Zoom competitor. Clear boundaries prevent this.
  2. Misaligned Expectations: Stakeholders think "Collaboration Tool" means video chat; developers think it means a comment box. The result is a demo day where everyone is disappointed.
  3. User Dissatisfaction: If you don't specify "must load in under 2 seconds," you will get a slow app that users hate, even if it has all the right features.

Part 3: The Gathering Process (Don't Go It Alone)

You cannot write requirements in a vacuum. You need a structured process.

  • The Stakeholder Interview: Talk to the people who will actually use the software. Don't guess what HR managers want; ask them.
  • User Personas: Write requirements for a specific person. "As an HR Manager, I want to automate onboarding..." (This is a User Story).
  • Visuals: Use prototypes and mockups. A wireframe eliminates 50% of misunderstandings instantly. "Oh, you wanted the button there?"

Part 4: Agile vs. Chaos

There is a myth that Agile means "we don't write things down." This is false. Agile means we write down what we know now and refine it later.

  • The Balance: You need enough detail to start coding, but enough flexibility to pivot if the market changes.
  • The MoSCoW Method: When you have 100 requirements and time for 10, use this prioritization framework:
    • Must Have (Non-negotiable)
    • Should Have (Important but not vital)
    • Could Have (Nice to have)
    • Won't Have (Not this time)

The Bottom Line

Clear requirements are the bridge between a vision and a product. They reduce risk, save money, and keep your team sane.

If you want to be a great Product Manager, stop treating requirements like administrative work. Treat them like the blueprints they are.

📝 Quick Cheat Sheet (For the Skimmers)

  • Be Specific: define the User, the Action, and the Outcome.
  • Avoid Ambiguity: Words like "fast," "better," and "easy" are forbidden unless defined by a metric.
  • Use Visuals: Wireframes > Text.
  • Prioritize: Use MoSCoW to decide what gets built first.
  • Collaborate: Don't write requirements alone; co-author them with devs and stakeholders.

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