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