Clemens Park
Aug 31, 2018 · 1 min read

Thanks for the article, Chuck.

How do you distinguish between “Goals” and “Product Requirements”? Are there definitions that you use to explain to people?

I’ve filled in a few tech specs for myself and others, and explaining the difference between Goals and Product Requirements I often find tricky.

The definitions that I’m running with lately are:

Goals are either outcomes (expecting to make an impact on something specific), or deliverables. In either case, I can ask the questions: “Have I hit the goal?”. Essentially, they are the “why”s of the project.

Product requirements are closer to solution level. I know the goals I need to hit. What are the things that need to be created/modified etc to hit the goals? These are the “what”’s of the project.

Also, are there any sections that you find yourself adding regularly to the tech spec? e.g. Constraints, or Risks?