A Simple Guide to Building Your Product Fit Brief (before you Roadmap)
Start here when you're trying to define what to build and why it matters.
Why This Document Exists
If you're building something new, especially in an ambiguous space, it can be easy to spin in circles. What problem are we solving? Who's it for? What are the guardrails? With so much to consider, it’s easy to lose clarity sometimes.
This guide helps you lay down your thinking in one place. Think of it as a clarity anchor: it helps you start asking better questions.
How to Use This Guide
You can fill this out solo or with your team. If you're solo, you may want to jot down answers casually first, then refine. If you're working with others, treat it like a shared living document. Revisit and revise as you learn more.
I’ll walk you through each section below with:
What it is
What to consider
A dummy example for a mental health app
You got this, let’s get into it.
1. Problem Space
What it is: The high-level context and barriers or pain points your product is trying to address.
What to consider:
Who’s affected by this problem?
What’s broken or frustrating?
What assumptions or gaps exist in the current landscape?
Example (Mental Health App): Demographic: Adults (25–45) struggling with anxiety and burnout in remote work settings.
Barriers:
Limited access to culturally competent care
Therapy often feels like a big, expensive commitment
Mental health content is scattered across platforms
2. Market Gap
What it is: The opportunity, specifically, what others aren’t doing well or aren’t doing at all.
What to consider:
How are users currently meeting this need?
Where are competitors falling short?
What makes this the right time to build?
Example:
Many apps focus on mood tracking or meditation but lack real-time support.
Therapy marketplaces exist but don’t serve casual, lower-barrier entry points.
Increased awareness post-pandemic, but solutions feel clinical or too formal.
3. Your Proposed Solution
What it is: Your working idea. Think about what you're building and how it’s tailored to the specific need and moment.
What to consider:
What’s the simplest form of your product?
Why is your approach uniquely helpful?
Can someone explain it in one breath?
Example: "A guided micro-support tool for navigating day-to-day stress and burnout. It’s like a pocket coach. Text-based reflection exercises and lightly personalized prompts that take under 10 minutes."
4. Product Pillars
What it is: The foundational building blocks—what your product must do to work as intended.
Think of pillars as the non-negotiables. Each one supports the weight of your product and if a pillar is removed or weakened, the experience risks collapsing or losing its purpose. Good pillars help you stay aligned when prioritizing features or saying no to distractions.
What to consider:
What features are not optional?
What principles must be upheld?
Example:
5. Known Constraints
What it is: Things that could slow you down or shape your MVP.
What to consider:
Tech limitations
Regulatory issues
Budget or timeline gaps, etc
Example:
Content needs to be reviewed by a licensed therapist before launch
No mobile app yet, starting web-only
Limited dev hours, so first version must be no-code
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to fill this out in one sitting. And you don’t have to get it “right” during your initial attempt. The goal is to carve out a shape, a direction, and a way to move forward.
You can always return and revise. But start with what you do know. That’s how you build clarity. One note, one assumption, one test at a time.
Next week: We’ll take what you’ve mapped here and turn it into a flexible roadmap. One that helps you prioritize without locking you into guesswork.
Don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t to have these weekly posts sent to your email!