PR FAQ

PR FAQ is the working-backwards artifact used at Amazon and AWS: a fictional press release plus frequently asked questions that describe a future product as if it has already launched, forcing the team to clarify customer value before building.

Key points

• The press-release section answers five core questions: who the customer is, what problem is being solved, what value is created, how the solution works, and why it matters to the customer and business ^[src-017].
• The FAQ section anticipates stakeholder questions so teams can align internally before spending build resources ^[src-017].
• The document is fictional at first, but it should be specific enough that a reader can understand the customer problem, the proposed experience, and the expected business value ^[src-017].
• Sabrina describes the PR FAQ as an early experiment: if the idea does not make sense on paper, it is a signal to refine before building ^[src-017].
• The PR FAQ is not the final deliverable; it is a mechanism for building the right thing and moving into prototype/test cycles with less waste ^[src-017].
• Carr adds the portfolio-management lesson: PR FAQs should create a product funnel, not a product tunnel. Many ideas can be written and compared, but only the strongest should consume scarce build resources ^[src-018].
• Writing a PR FAQ can be piloted inside a single product group, but changing product development at company scale usually needs senior leadership buy-in and disciplined practice ^[src-018].

Related entities

• Amazon — origin context for the mechanism
• Amazon Web Services — teaches the mechanism to customers through Digital Innovation and PACE
• Bill Carr — explains the mechanism through the Working Backwards book and consulting work

Related concepts

• Working Backwards
• Customer Obsession
• Customer Co-Design
• Working Backwards (Book)

Source references

• ^[src-017] AWS Events — “Working Backwards | How to Build Like AWS” (2026-02-24)
• ^[src-018] Lenny’s Podcast — “Unpacking Amazon’s unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards)” (2023-11-02)