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]
- •Purpose:
- •
[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]
- •If wrong, impact:
- •
[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-versionfield 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-versionfield 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