Writing PRDs for AI Agents: The New Engineering Standard
"The greatest friction in AI development is the gap between what you said and what the agent thought you meant."
In the past, a PRD was a document designed to start a conversation. In 2025, a PRD is a System Specification designed to guide an autonomous worker. If your PRD contains words like "clean", "fast", or "intuitive" without metrics, your AI agent will hallucinate its own definitions.
Deterministic Specs vs. Human PRDs
An "Agent-Ready" PRD must transition from descriptive prose to prescriptive logic. It needs to define state transitions, API contracts, and architectural boundaries before the first line of code is written.
| Component | Human PRD (Vague) | Agent Spec (Deterministic) |
|---|---|---|
| Auth | "Make it secure." | "Inject @corp/auth-v2. Use RLS Policy: UID matches user_id." |
| Error Handling | "Show an error message." | "Catch 429: Toast 'Rate limited'. Catch 403: Redirect /login." |
| Performance | "Must be fast." | "Max Bundle: 120kb. P95 API Latency < 200ms." |
The Anatomy of an Agent-Ready PRD
1. Module Mapping
Explicitly state which existing internal packages must be used. Do not let the agent choose a public library if an internal one exists.
2. State Machine Definitions
Define all possible states of a feature. (e.g., 'Loading', 'Success', 'Empty', 'Error_Auth', 'Error_Network'). Agents excel at implementing states if they are enumerated.
How Prodmap Automates This
Prodmap’s Planning Agent scans your request and recursively asks: "What is the expected behavior for [Edge Case]?" until the spec is deterministic.
See the Spec EngineRelated Articles
The 'Context Gap': Why AI Coding Assistants Aren't Enough for the Enterprise
AI coding assistants are brilliant at syntax, but blind to context. In enterprise development, code is cheap. Context is expensive.
Navigating Product Management in the Age of AI
The PM role is evolving from "Spec Writer" to "System Architect". Explore how AI is automating the busy work and allowing PMs to focus on high-leverage strategy.
Top AI Prototyping Tools in 2025
A curated list of the best AI-powered prototyping tools that are changing how we design software in 2025. From text-to-UI to autonomous wireframing.
Continue to Product Pages
Turn this strategy into execution with the product and pricing workflows.
Thanks for reading.