name	product-context-template
description	Generic product context template for creating product vision, goals, and constraints skills. Auto-invoke when user requests product skill creation, product context framework, or strategic alignment templates. Do NOT load during actual product work (use project-specific skills instead).
allowed-tools	["Grep"]
version	1.0.0
category	Templates
tags	["template","product-context","vision","strategy"]
last-updated	"2025-10-20T00:00:00.000Z"

Product Context Template

Purpose

This template guides the creation of product context skills - strategic information about product vision, goals, constraints, and positioning that helps Claude understand the "why" behind technical decisions. Replace all [PLACEHOLDER] values with actual product information.

SKILL.md Frontmatter Template

---
name: [product-name]-context
description: Product context for [PRODUCT_NAME] including vision, goals, and constraints when discussing [FEATURE_AREA_1], [FEATURE_AREA_2], or [USE_CASE]. Auto-invoke when user mentions [PRODUCT_NAME], [KEY_FEATURE], or [TARGET_USER_SEGMENT]. Do NOT load for general [DOMAIN] discussions unrelated to [PRODUCT_NAME].
allowed-tools: []
version: 1.0.0
category: Product
tags: [[product-name], [domain], product-context, strategy]
product-version: [VERSION_OR_RELEASE]
last-updated: [YYYY-MM-DD]
---

Description Engineering Guidance:

✅ DO include:

Product name and key features
Specific feature areas covered
Target user segments
Strategic positioning keywords

❌ DON'T use:

Generic descriptions ("Information about product...")
No product scope boundaries
Missing trigger terms users will actually mention

Example Good Description:

Product context for EasyPay payment processing including merchant onboarding, flexible leasing, and international support when discussing payment flows, compliance requirements, or merchant experience. Auto-invoke when user mentions EasyPay, merchant setup, or leasing options. Do NOT load for general payment discussions outside EasyPay.

Product Context Content Structure

1. Product Vision & Mission

Purpose: Core purpose and long-term aspiration

Product Vision

[ONE_SENTENCE_VISION_STATEMENT]

Example: "Enable every restaurant to offer flexible payment options that increase customer purchasing power while maintaining financial security."

Mission Statement

[ONE_TO_TWO_SENTENCE_MISSION]

Target Outcome: [MEASURABLE_GOAL_OR_IMPACT]

Example: "Increase average transaction value by >30%"
Example: "Reduce merchant setup time from weeks to <24 hours"

Strategic Positioning

Market Position: [WHERE_PRODUCT_FITS_IN_MARKET]
Differentiation: [WHAT_MAKES_THIS_UNIQUE]
Competitive Advantage: [KEY_ADVANTAGE_OVER_ALTERNATIVES]

2. Target Users & Personas

Purpose: Who the product serves and their key characteristics

Primary Persona: `[PERSONA_NAME]`

Role: [JOB_TITLE_OR_ROLE]

Key Characteristics:

Goals: [PRIMARY_GOAL_1], [PRIMARY_GOAL_2]
Pain Points: [PAIN_POINT_1], [PAIN_POINT_2]
Technical Proficiency: [LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH]
Decision Authority: [WHAT_THEY_CAN_DECIDE]

Success Metrics (for this persona):

[METRIC_1]: [TARGET_VALUE]
[METRIC_2]: [TARGET_VALUE]

Secondary Persona: `[PERSONA_NAME]`

(Repeat structure for secondary/tertiary personas)

3. Product Goals & Success Metrics

Purpose: Measurable objectives and KPIs

Current Release Goals `[RELEASE_VERSION]`

Goal	Success Metric	Target	Current	Status
`[GOAL_1]`	`[METRIC_NAME]`	`[TARGET_VALUE]`	`[CURRENT_VALUE]`	`[ON_TRACK/AT_RISK/ACHIEVED]`
`[GOAL_2]`	`[METRIC_NAME]`	`[TARGET_VALUE]`	`[CURRENT_VALUE]`	`[ON_TRACK/AT_RISK/ACHIEVED]`
`[GOAL_3]`	`[METRIC_NAME]`	`[TARGET_VALUE]`	`[CURRENT_VALUE]`	`[ON_TRACK/AT_RISK/ACHIEVED]`

Long-Term Strategic Goals (12-24 months)

[STRATEGIC_GOAL_1]: [DESCRIPTION_AND_WHY]
[STRATEGIC_GOAL_2]: [DESCRIPTION_AND_WHY]
[STRATEGIC_GOAL_3]: [DESCRIPTION_AND_WHY]

4. Product Constraints & Trade-offs

Purpose: Known limitations and strategic trade-off decisions

Technical Constraints

Performance: [CONSTRAINT_DESCRIPTION]
- Example: "Must support 10,000 transactions/second"
- Rationale: [WHY_THIS_MATTERS]
Scalability: [CONSTRAINT_DESCRIPTION]
- Example: "Architecture must scale to 100M users without redesign"
- Rationale: [WHY_THIS_MATTERS]
Integration: [CONSTRAINT_DESCRIPTION]
- Example: "Must integrate with legacy POS systems via REST API"
- Rationale: [WHY_THIS_MATTERS]

Business Constraints

Budget: [CONSTRAINT_DESCRIPTION] (use relative terms, no specific amounts)
Timeline: [CONSTRAINT_DESCRIPTION]
Resources: [CONSTRAINT_DESCRIPTION]
Compliance: [REGULATORY_REQUIREMENTS]

Strategic Trade-offs (Decisions Made)

Trade-off: [WHAT_WAS_DECIDED]
We chose: [OPTION_A]
Over: [OPTION_B]
Because: [RATIONALE]
Date decided: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Revisit if: [CONDITION_THAT_WOULD_CHANGE_DECISION]

5. Core Features & Capabilities

Purpose: What the product does (high-level, not implementation details)

Feature Category: `[CATEGORY_NAME]`

Features:

[FEATURE_NAME]
- Purpose: [WHY_THIS_EXISTS]
- User Value: [BENEFIT_TO_USER]
- Status: [AVAILABLE/IN_DEVELOPMENT/PLANNED]
- Priority: [MUST_HAVE/SHOULD_HAVE/NICE_TO_HAVE]
[FEATURE_NAME] (Repeat structure)

Feature Roadmap (High-Level)

Quarter	Theme	Key Features	Goal
`[Q1 YYYY]`	`[THEME]`	`[FEATURES]`	`[OBJECTIVE]`
`[Q2 YYYY]`	`[THEME]`	`[FEATURES]`	`[OBJECTIVE]`
`[Q3 YYYY]`	`[THEME]`	`[FEATURES]`	`[OBJECTIVE]`

Note: Roadmap is directional, subject to change based on customer feedback and market conditions.

6. User Experience Principles

Purpose: Design philosophy and UX standards

Core UX Principles

[PRINCIPLE_1]: [DESCRIPTION]
- Example: "Simplicity over features - every screen should have single clear purpose"
- Application: [HOW_THIS_APPLIES_TO_DECISIONS]
[PRINCIPLE_2]: [DESCRIPTION]
- Example: "Progressive disclosure - show basics first, advanced options on demand"
- Application: [HOW_THIS_APPLIES_TO_DECISIONS]
[PRINCIPLE_3]: [DESCRIPTION]
- Example: "Mobile-first design - optimize for smallest screen, enhance for larger"
- Application: [HOW_THIS_APPLIES_TO_DECISIONS]

Accessibility Standards

Compliance Level: [WCAG_LEVEL] (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA)
Key Requirements: [SPECIFIC_REQUIREMENTS]
Testing Approach: [HOW_ACCESSIBILITY_IS_VALIDATED]

7. Integration & Ecosystem

Purpose: How product fits in broader ecosystem

Key Integrations

System	Integration Type	Purpose	Status
`[SYSTEM_1]`	`[API/WEBHOOK/SDK]`	`[WHY_INTEGRATED]`	`[ACTIVE/PLANNED]`
`[SYSTEM_2]`	`[API/WEBHOOK/SDK]`	`[WHY_INTEGRATED]`	`[ACTIVE/PLANNED]`

Ecosystem Position

Upstream Dependencies: [SYSTEMS_WE_DEPEND_ON]
Downstream Consumers: [SYSTEMS_THAT_DEPEND_ON_US]
Lateral Partners: [PEER_SYSTEMS_WE_COORDINATE_WITH]

8. Assumptions & Risks

Purpose: Known assumptions and tracked risks

Key Assumptions

[ASSUMPTION_1]
- If wrong, impact: [WHAT_WOULD_CHANGE]
- Validation approach: [HOW_WE_TEST_THIS]
[ASSUMPTION_2] (Repeat structure)

Risk Register

Risk	Probability	Impact	Mitigation	Owner
`[RISK_1]`	`[LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH]`	`[LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH]`	`[MITIGATION_STRATEGY]`	`[ROLE_NOT_NAME]`
`[RISK_2]`	`[LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH]`	`[LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH]`	`[MITIGATION_STRATEGY]`	`[ROLE_NOT_NAME]`

Validation Checklist

Before finalizing product context skill, verify:

Content Quality:

All [PLACEHOLDERS] replaced with actual values
Zero PII (no names, emails, phone numbers)
Zero business-confidential data (revenue, pricing, specific budgets)
Vision and goals are clear and measurable
Constraints are documented with rationale

Strategic Clarity:

Vision statement is one sentence and inspiring
Success metrics are specific and measurable
Trade-offs are documented with reasoning
Assumptions are testable
Risks have mitigation strategies

User Focus:

Primary personas clearly defined
User goals and pain points specific
UX principles actionable (not generic)
Accessibility requirements clear

Metadata & Tracking:

product-version field indicates current release
Last updated date is current
allowed-tools: [] set (product context is read-only reference)
Category and tags aid discovery

Security & Scope:

File location matches scope (product context in .claude/skills/projects/[product-name]/)
No competitive intelligence or confidential strategy exposed
Reviewed by product owner

Usage Examples

Creating New Product Context Skill:

User: "Create a product context skill for EasyPay"

Claude: [Loads this template skill, uses structure to create EasyPay-specific context]

Feature Development Guidance:

User: "Should we add advanced analytics to the merchant dashboard?"

Claude: [Loads product context skill, checks against vision, user personas, and goals]
Response: "Based on product vision of 'simplicity over features' and primary persona being small restaurant owners with low technical proficiency, advanced analytics might violate UX principle #1. Consider progressive disclosure - basic metrics by default, advanced analytics opt-in."

Do NOT Use This Template For:

Actual product work (use project-specific skills instead)
Technical implementation details (use ground truth for specs)
Stakeholder information (use stakeholder template)
Frequently changing tactical plans (product context is strategic)

Maintenance & Freshness

Update Triggers:

New product vision or strategic pivot
Major release with significant feature changes
Quarterly goals update
New competitive positioning
Persona evolution based on user research

Review Cadence:

Vision/Mission: Annually or on strategic pivot
Goals/Metrics: Quarterly
Features/Roadmap: Monthly
Constraints/Risks: Ongoing as they change

Version Control:

Update product-version field with product release version
Track changes in git with reference to product release notes
Use semantic versioning for template (1.0.0 → 1.1.0 for additions)

Template Source: Phase 2 requirements + product management best practices Template Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: 2025-10-20 Validation: Ready for Phase 2 implementation

name	product-context-template
description	Generic product context template for creating product vision, goals, and constraints skills. Auto-invoke when user requests product skill creation, product context framework, or strategic alignment templates. Do NOT load during actual product work (use project-specific skills instead).
allowed-tools	["Grep"]
version	1.0.0
category	Templates
tags	["template","product-context","vision","strategy"]
last-updated	"2025-10-20T00:00:00.000Z"