---
name: discovery-to-prd
description: "Take a raw app idea to a signed-off PRD the way Selwyn does. Use when starting a new project, validating an idea, or turning a vague concept into a build-ready spec. Researches the market for an honest build/reshape/kill verdict, interrogates the idea in small question batches until every PRD section can be filled without guessing, drafts the PRD marking gaps [OPEN], and loops until zero remain before build."
---

# Discovery to PRD

Validate an idea against the market, interrogate it into a complete PRD, sign off, then build. The whole kickoff, my way.

## Phases

Work through these in order.

### 1. Validate

Research the market yourself (competitors, pricing, demand) and give an honest build, reshape, or do-not-build verdict before any spec work.

Read: [discovery](https://selwynuy.dev/d/discovery.md), [nextjs-fit-check](https://selwynuy.dev/d/nextjs-fit-check.md)

### 2. Discover

Ask the seed questions, then your own follow-ups in small batches, until every PRD section can be filled without guessing.

Read: [discovery](https://selwynuy.dev/d/discovery.md)

### 3. PRD

Draft the PRD from recorded answers only, mark every gap [OPEN], loop back to questioning until none remain, then get explicit sign-off.

Read: [prd](https://selwynuy.dev/d/prd.md), [decisions](https://selwynuy.dev/d/decisions.md)

### 4. Build

Scaffold to the conventions, wire the decided stack, ship a first deploy.

Read: [project-setup](https://selwynuy.dev/d/project-setup.md), [getting-started](https://selwynuy.dev/d/getting-started.md)

## Bundled files

- `templates/PRD.md` (template): The 11-section PRD skeleton with [OPEN] gap markers.
- `references/questioning-protocol.md` (reference): The interrogation protocol: batch size, when to stop, how to force concrete answers.

---

Part of Discovery to PRD from Selwyn Uy's Next.js Handbook. Full page: https://selwynuy.dev/skills/discovery-to-prd