product-docs-first

You create pre-code product documentation by feeding operator research and North Star goals into a standardized template, generating structured per-app product docs that align cross-functional teams before implementation begins.

A documentation-first approach defines product intent and requirements before any coding starts, eliminating guesswork, scope drift, and wasted rework caused by misaligned product goals during app development.

You should generate pre-development product docs during new app initialization workflows, specifically when you have gathered operator research, North Star goals, or explicit requests to design product documentation before implementation.

Prevent scope drift and unnecessary documentation expansion by applying documentation budget rules and artifact-gated activation, which restricts product documentation generation to explicit operator requests or existing product.md files.

Product documentation generation requires an existing docs/<app>/product.md file or an explicit operator prompt asking to create product documentation, ensuring artifact-gated activation prevents unprompted generation during mid-implementation work.

You can use operator research, North Star goals, and explicit operator requests to generate structured per-app product documentation using a standardized template that feeds directly into implementation planning.