Last updated: Jul 25, 2025, 10:08 AM UTC

PRD Review and Gaps Analysis

Generated: 2025-01-25 17:00 UTC
Status: Complete
Verified:

Executive Summary

This document reviews all Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) for the Convert to Markdown service, identifying gaps, missing information, and critical questions that need to be addressed before full commercial launch. The review covers 10 PRDs across core functionality, commercial features, and technical architecture.

Overall PRD Health Assessment

Well-Documented Areas

  1. Core Conversion Service - Comprehensive coverage of file formats and requirements
  2. Usage API - Clear endpoint specifications and data models
  3. Authentication & Security - Solid foundation but needs updates
  4. Commercial Features - Good pricing structure framework

Areas Needing Attention

  1. Email System - Implementation details incomplete
  2. Infrastructure & Deployment - Missing production scaling details
  3. Monitoring & Analytics - Lacks specific metric definitions
  4. User Experience - No UI/UX specifications for developer portal

Document-by-Document Analysis

1. Core Conversion Service PRD

Status: Well-documented
Missing Information:

  • PowerPoint conversion specifications (mentioned but not detailed)
  • Batch conversion API specifications
  • Webhook callback mechanisms for async processing
  • File validation rules and limits per format

Critical Questions:

  1. What is the maximum concurrent conversion limit per API key?
  2. How are conversion errors classified and reported?
  3. What happens to partially converted documents?
  4. Should we support password-protected documents?

2. Authentication & Security PRD

Status: Good foundation, needs updates
Missing Information:

  • OAuth 2.0 implementation timeline
  • IP whitelisting specifications
  • Rate limiting algorithm details
  • Security incident response procedures
  • Data encryption key management

Critical Questions:

  1. Which SSO providers will we support initially?
  2. What is the key rotation policy?
  3. How do we handle compromised API keys?
  4. What are the specific SOC 2 requirements we're targeting?

3. Commercial Features & Pricing PRD

Status: Framework complete, details needed
Missing Information:

  • Stripe integration specifics
  • Credit card retry logic
  • Refund policy and procedures
  • Usage overage handling
  • Enterprise contract terms template

Critical Questions:

  1. Do unused conversions roll over month-to-month?
  2. What happens when a pro user downgrades mid-month?
  3. How do we handle disputed charges?
  4. What are the wholesale pricing tiers for resellers?

4. Usage API PRD

Status: Well-specified
Missing Information:

  • Webhook specifications for usage alerts
  • Data export formats (CSV, JSON, etc.)
  • Historical data retention policy
  • Performance benchmarks for API endpoints

Critical Questions:

  1. How far back should historical data be available?
  2. Should we provide predictive usage analytics?
  3. What is the rate limit for usage API calls?
  4. How do we handle usage data during service outages?

5. Email System PRD

Status: Basic framework only
Missing Information:

  • Email template designs
  • Bounce handling procedures
  • Unsubscribe mechanism
  • Email analytics tracking
  • Transactional vs marketing email separation

Critical Questions:

  1. Which email events do we need to track?
  2. How do we handle email delivery failures for API keys?
  3. What is the email sending rate limit?
  4. Should we support custom email domains for enterprise?

6. Infrastructure & Deployment PRD

Status: High-level only
Missing Information:

  • Auto-scaling policies
  • Disaster recovery procedures
  • Multi-region deployment strategy
  • CDN configuration
  • Database backup schedules

Critical Questions:

  1. What is our target SLA for uptime?
  2. How do we handle region-specific data residency?
  3. What is the failover strategy?
  4. What are the infrastructure cost projections?

7. Monitoring & Analytics PRD

Status: Conceptual, needs specifics
Missing Information:

  • Specific metrics and KPIs
  • Alert thresholds and escalation
  • Dashboard specifications
  • Log retention policies
  • Performance baseline metrics

Critical Questions:

  1. Which monitoring tools will we use?
  2. What are the critical alerts vs warnings?
  3. Who receives alerts for different severity levels?
  4. How do we measure conversion quality?

8. NPM Package Distribution PRD

Status: Good technical details
Missing Information:

  • Version deprecation policy
  • Security vulnerability handling
  • Package size optimization targets
  • Offline usage capabilities

Critical Questions:

  1. How do we handle breaking changes?
  2. What is the browser compatibility target?
  3. Should we provide a CDN-hosted version?
  4. How do we track NPM package usage?

9. User Experience & Documentation PRD

Status: Needs significant work
Missing Information:

  • Developer portal wireframes
  • API documentation standards
  • Interactive API explorer specs
  • Onboarding flow design
  • Support ticket system integration

Critical Questions:

  1. Will we have a developer portal or just docs?
  2. How do users manage their API keys?
  3. What programming languages need SDK examples?
  4. How do we collect user feedback?

10. API Technical Architecture PRD

Status: Solid foundation
Missing Information:

  • GraphQL API roadmap
  • WebSocket support for real-time updates
  • API versioning strategy
  • Deprecation timeline procedures

Critical Questions:

  1. When do we plan to support GraphQL?
  2. How do we handle API version migrations?
  3. What is the backward compatibility commitment?
  4. Should we support webhook endpoints for async operations?

Critical Business Questions

Revenue & Growth

  1. What is our target revenue for Year 1?
  2. What is the customer acquisition cost target?
  3. How do we measure conversion quality vs competitors?
  4. What is our target market share?

Technical Scaling

  1. What is the expected conversion volume at launch?
  2. How do we handle viral growth scenarios?
  3. What is the infrastructure budget?
  4. When do we need to hire additional engineers?

Compliance & Legal

  1. Which geographic markets are we targeting?
  2. What industry-specific compliances do we need?
  3. How do we handle DMCA requests?
  4. What is our data retention legal requirement?

Partnerships

  1. Which platforms should we integrate with first?
  2. What are the partner revenue sharing models?
  3. How do we handle white-label requests?
  4. Should we join cloud marketplace programs?

Immediate Action Items

High Priority (Before Launch)

  1. Complete email system implementation details
  2. Define specific monitoring metrics and alerts
  3. Create developer portal specifications
  4. Document infrastructure scaling policies
  5. Finalize security incident procedures

Medium Priority (Post-Launch)

  1. Design batch conversion API
  2. Implement usage prediction analytics
  3. Create enterprise onboarding flow
  4. Build partner integration framework
  5. Develop mobile SDK roadmap

Future Considerations

  1. AI-powered conversion optimization
  2. Real-time collaboration features
  3. Advanced analytics dashboard
  4. Industry-specific conversion templates
  5. Blockchain-based document verification

Recommendations

  1. Prioritize Security Documentation: Given the recent security review, update all security-related PRDs with current implementation details.

  2. Create Developer Portal PRD: This is a significant gap - users need a self-service portal for API key management.

  3. Define Success Metrics: Each PRD should include specific, measurable success criteria.

  4. Add Implementation Timelines: PRDs should include phased rollout plans with specific dates.

  5. Include Budget Estimates: Commercial impact and resource requirements should be estimated.

Conclusion

The PRD collection provides a solid foundation for the Convert to Markdown service, with particularly strong documentation around core functionality and API design. However, significant gaps exist in operational areas like monitoring, email systems, and user experience. Addressing these gaps and answering the critical questions identified will be essential for a successful commercial launch.

Priority should be given to completing the email system implementation, creating developer portal specifications, and defining specific operational metrics. These elements are crucial for delivering a professional, scalable service that meets enterprise customer expectations.