# Ep. 18 - How to Write a PRD (Product Requirement Document)

- Show: [Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast)
- Published: 2024-04-18
- Length: 51m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-04-18-ep-18-how-to-write-a-prd-product-requirement-document
- Listen: https://shows.acast.com/ohm-podcast/episodes/how-to-write-a-prd

## Summary

Steven Oz and Lucian Chaper of Opulo explain how to write a Product Requirement Document (PRD) to ensure hardware products solve real customer problems rather than chasing 'nerd snipe' distractions. They detail the process of conducting customer interviews, defining immutable constraints, and making early architectural trade-offs, using their Lumen pick-and-place machine as a case study for balancing speed, assembly ease, and future expandability. The hosts emphasize that a PRD acts as a 'minimum useful product' rubric to prevent feature creep and ensure cross-departmental buy-in before committing to expensive manufacturing.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-04-18-ep-18-how-to-write-a-prd-product-requirement-document#t=0) Introduction: The Purpose of a PRD
- [2:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-04-18-ep-18-how-to-write-a-prd-product-requirement-document#t=120) Customer Research and Avoiding Nerd Snipe
- [11:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-04-18-ep-18-how-to-write-a-prd-product-requirement-document#t=680) Rough Engineering Architecture and Trade-offs
- [16:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-04-18-ep-18-how-to-write-a-prd-product-requirement-document#t=991) Defining Constraints and Future-Proofing
- [26:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-04-18-ep-18-how-to-write-a-prd-product-requirement-document#t=1565) Minimum Useful Product (MUP) vs MVP
- [30:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-04-18-ep-18-how-to-write-a-prd-product-requirement-document#t=1814) Cross-Departmental Buy-in and Manufacturing
- [45:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-04-18-ep-18-how-to-write-a-prd-product-requirement-document#t=2707) Lumen PRD Constraints and Examples

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Opulo (company)
- Lumen (product)
- Creality (company)
- Prusa (company)
- Bamboo Labs (company)
- Leatherman (product)
- Marlin (other)
- CoreXY (other)
- XYY (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Interview with Eric Ries - Transorted Testing Tachydidaxy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-08-21-interview-with-eric-ries-transorted-testing-tachydidaxy) (The Amp Hour)
- [S1 E5: The Path of Product Design for Successful Development with William Burke](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2023-05-30-s1-e5-the-path-of-product-design-for-successful-development-with-william-burke) (The Builder Circle)
- [172: Early Concept Design for a New Hardware Invention](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-04-20-172-early-concept-design-for-a-new-hardware-invention) (Product Startup)
- [216: 5 Key Tips For Starting Your Product Development Journey](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-03-11-216-5-key-tips-for-starting-your-product-development-journey) (Product Startup)
- [How to Define and Specify Your New Hardware Product](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-07-21-how-to-define-and-specify-your-new-hardware-product) (Predictable Designs Podcast)

## Citing this page

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