I get a bit uncomfortable working on projects with poor planning, and I think sometimes people use Agile as an excuse not to do long term plans.

Thanks for the article!

In the first case, new product development, the MRD is extremely critical because it justifies and documents the reasons why a company might want to create such a product. It also defines the basic minimum requirements needed in the product in order for it to generate a return on the company’s investment. Overall, the MRD keeps the company focused on the who, what, why, where, and when for product development.

In the second case, product enhancement, the MRD focuses on the minimal enhancements required and timing in order to be competitive in the market place. The MRD is also tied to a market strategy where customer and competitive intelligence is a key factor in determining what to add to a product and when; as well as evaluating new customer needs and requests based on the initial or last release of the product. Again, this helps to keep the company and its development process focused.

It can get confusing when referencing development methodologies, such as Agile (and Product Backlog), when talking about product management methodologies. That is not to say that product management methodologies and software development methodologies do not work well together. For example, when you mention Agile and Product Backlog, you would want to make sure that the items in the product backlog were entered into the backlog because they were identified in the MRD as something that was worth developing. That is to say, if an item is placed on the product backlog, it is also added to the current MRD and PRD, if it not already there. If the item does not meet the current goals of the company, then that item might be held from the product backlog until another release or prioritized differently. After all, a company needs to focus its resources on what will result in a return on its investment, especially if there is competition in the marketplace.