Product-Spec Alignment Requirements

CRITICAL: All Triad artifacts (spec.md, plan.md, tasks.md) require Product Manager sign-off before implementation begins

Constitutional Authority

Per Constitution v1.2.0, Principle X: Product-Spec Alignment (NON-NEGOTIABLE):

ALL Triad artifacts (spec.md, plan.md, tasks.md) MUST receive Product Manager (product-manager) sign-off before implementation begins. Product artifacts in docs/product/ are the strategic foundation that technical specifications must serve.

Rationale

Why This Matters:

Technical excellence without product alignment wastes resources building the wrong solution
User needs must drive technical decisions, not the reverse
Strategic objectives (OKRs) require measurable product outcomes
Product vision ensures features solve real problems for target users

What Happens Without Alignment:

❌ Teams build technically impressive solutions to the wrong problems
❌ Features ship that don't support business objectives
❌ Resources wasted on low-impact work
❌ Users don't adopt features because they don't solve real pain points
❌ Product roadmap becomes disconnected from implementation

The Product-Spec Workflow

Required Workflow (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

1. /aod.define <topic>             → Product Manager creates PRD
   │
   ├─ PM researches product context (vision, OKRs, roadmap)
   ├─ PM documents requirements in industry-standard format
   └─ PRD saved to docs/product/02_PRD/NNN-topic-YYYY-MM-DD.md

2. PRD Review & Approval          → Stakeholder validation
   │
   ├─ PM reviews PRD for completeness
   ├─ Stakeholders review and provide feedback
   ├─ PM addresses feedback and finalizes PRD
   └─ PRD marked as "Approved" in INDEX.md

3. /aod.plan                      → Plan stage (chains spec → project-plan → tasks)
   │
   ├─ Step 3a: /aod.spec          → Create spec.md from PRD
   │   ├─ Architect reads approved PRD
   │   ├─ Architect creates spec.md referencing PRD
   │   ├─ spec.md includes source_prd metadata
   │   └─ PM sign-off on spec.md (validates alignment)
   │
   ├─ Step 3b: /aod.project-plan  → Create plan.md from spec
   │   ├─ Architect creates technical plan
   │   ├─ plan.md references product docs
   │   └─ PM + Architect sign-off on plan.md
   │
   └─ Step 3c: /aod.tasks         → Create tasks.md from plan
       ├─ Team Lead breaks down implementation
       ├─ tasks.md prioritization considers user value
       └─ PM + Architect + Team-Lead sign-off on tasks.md

4. /aod.build                     → Execute implementation
   │
   └─ Implementation begins ONLY after all Plan sign-offs approved

Product Manager Sign-Off Checklist

Before approving spec.md, plan.md, or tasks.md, the Product Manager MUST validate:

Vision Alignment

Product Vision: Aligns with docs/product/01_Product_Vision/product-vision.md
- Does this feature support our product vision?
- Does it move us toward our long-term goals?
Target Users: Serves target user needs from docs/product/01_Product_Vision/target-users.md
- Which persona(s) benefit from this feature?
- Does it solve a real pain point for them?
Competitive Positioning: Fits competitive strategy from docs/product/01_Product_Vision/competitive-landscape.md
- Does this differentiate us from competitors?
- Does it strengthen our position in the market?

Strategic Alignment

OKRs: Supports current quarter objectives from docs/product/06_OKRs/
- Which OKR does this support?
- How does it move the key results?
- Is the impact measurable?
Roadmap Timeline: Fits phase roadmap from docs/product/03_Product_Roadmap/
- Which phase is this feature in?
- Does the timeline align with roadmap commitments?
- Are dependencies satisfied?
User Stories: Delivers on user stories from docs/product/05_User_Stories/
- Which user stories does this implement?
- Do acceptance criteria match?
- Is user value clear?

Quality Standards

Problem Statement: Clear and user-focused
- Does the spec explain what user problem we're solving?
- Is the pain point articulated in user terms?
Success Metrics: Measurable outcomes defined
- How will we measure success?
- Are metrics specific and quantifiable?
- Do we have baseline and target values?
Scope Boundaries: Well-defined with clear in/out scope
- Is MVP scope clearly defined?
- Are out-of-scope items explicitly listed?
- Is scope realistic for timeline?
Dependencies: Identified and documented
- What must be complete before this work?
- What external dependencies exist?
- Are blockers identified?
Technical Constraints: Realistic and documented
- Are constraints acknowledged?
- Is technical approach feasible?
- Have alternatives been considered?

Documentation Standards

spec.md: Has clear user value proposition
- Does spec lead with user value, not technical details?
- Are user benefits explicit?
plan.md: References relevant product docs
- Does plan reference source PRD?
- Does plan cite relevant OKRs, roadmap, user stories?
tasks.md: Prioritization aligns with product priorities
- Are P0 tasks truly critical for user value?
- Does sequencing make sense from user perspective?
- Is MVP scope aligned with PRD?
Traceability: All artifacts reference source PRD
- Is source PRD linked in metadata?
- Can we trace from task → plan → spec → PRD → vision?

PM Sign-Off Template

Product Manager adds this section to spec.md, plan.md, or tasks.md after validation:

---

## Product Manager Sign-Off

**Artifact**: [spec.md / plan.md / tasks.md]
**PM**: product-manager
**Date**: YYYY-MM-DD
**Status**: [✅ Approved / 🟡 Approved with Comments / ❌ Rejected]

### Alignment Validation

#### Vision Alignment
- ✅ Aligns with product vision
- ✅ Serves target user needs (Persona: [Individual Developer / Small Team / Enterprise])
- ✅ Fits competitive positioning

#### Strategic Alignment
- ✅ Supports OKR: [Reference to specific OKR from docs/product/06_OKRs/]
- ✅ Fits roadmap: [Phase X, Week Y]
- ✅ Delivers user stories: [US-001, US-002, etc.]

#### Quality Standards
- ✅ Problem statement is clear and user-focused
- ✅ Success metrics are measurable (Baseline → Target)
- ✅ Scope is well-defined and realistic
- ✅ Dependencies identified
- ✅ Technical constraints documented

#### Documentation Standards
- ✅ User value proposition is clear
- ✅ References product docs appropriately
- ✅ Prioritization aligns with product strategy
- ✅ Traces to source PRD: [docs/product/02_PRD/NNN-topic-date.md]

### Comments

[Any observations, recommendations, or context that engineering should know]

### Approval

**Status**: ✅ Approved for implementation

**Next Step**: [/aod.plan (continues automatically) / /aod.build]

---

Product Manager Veto Authority

The Product Manager has VETO AUTHORITY over:

Spec Creation: Can reject spec.md that doesn't align with product vision
Plan Approval: Can reject plan.md that doesn't fit roadmap or constraints
Task Prioritization: Can reorder tasks.md to align with product priorities

When to Exercise Veto

Valid Reasons:

✅ Spec solves wrong problem or serves wrong users
✅ Plan timeline doesn't fit roadmap commitments
✅ Tasks prioritize technical elegance over user value
✅ Work doesn't support current quarter OKRs
✅ Scope creep threatens delivery commitments
✅ Missing critical user stories or acceptance criteria
✅ Success metrics are unmeasurable or missing

Invalid Reasons:

❌ Personal preference for different technology
❌ Disagreement on implementation details (that's architect's domain)
❌ Code style or formatting choices
❌ Technical architecture that still serves user needs

Veto Template

When exercising veto, Product Manager documents:

---

## Product Manager Veto - YYYY-MM-DD

**Artifact**: [spec.md / plan.md / tasks.md]
**PM**: product-manager
**Reason**: [Clear explanation of misalignment]

### Required Changes

1. [Specific change needed - be concrete and actionable]
2. [Specific change needed]
3. [Specific change needed]

### Rationale

[Explain how these changes restore product alignment]

**Specific Concerns**:
- [Concern 1: How current approach misses user needs]
- [Concern 2: How it conflicts with OKRs]
- [Concern 3: Timeline/scope/dependency issues]

### Supporting References

- **Product Vision**: [Link to relevant section of vision doc]
- **OKRs**: [Link to OKR that's not supported]
- **Roadmap**: [Link to roadmap showing timeline conflict]
- **User Stories**: [Link to user story requirements]

### Resubmit After

[Clear description of what needs to be fixed before resubmission]

**Expected Timeline**: [When should updated artifact be ready?]

---

Product Artifact Synchronization

Product Manager is responsible for maintaining alignment between:

Product Artifacts (docs/product/)

01_Product_Vision/ - Strategic direction
- product-vision.md
- target-users.md
- competitive-landscape.md
02_PRD/ - Product requirements
- NNN-topic-YYYY-MM-DD.md (individual PRDs)
- INDEX.md (PRD registry)
03_Product_Roadmap/ - Phase planning
- phase-1-mvp.md
- phase-2-brain.md
- phase-3-strategist.md
- phase-4-platform.md
04_Customer_Journey_Maps/ - User experience flows
- developer-journey.md
- team-journey.md
- first-time-user.md
- enterprise-journey.md
05_User_Stories/ - Feature user stories
- phase-1-stories.md
- phase-2-stories.md
- phase-3-stories.md
- phase-4-stories.md
06_OKRs/ - Objectives & Key Results
- YYYY-QN.md (quarterly OKRs)

Triad Artifacts (.aod/)

constitution.md - Governance principles
spec.md - Feature specification
plan.md - Technical plan
tasks.md - Implementation tasks

Synchronization Requirements

When product vision changes:

PM reviews all in-flight specs
PM updates affected specs or marks them for revision
PM communicates changes to engineering team

When OKRs change:

PM validates all in-flight work still aligns
PM reprioritizes work if needed
PM updates roadmap if timeline shifts

When roadmap changes:

PM updates affected plans and timelines
PM communicates impacts to stakeholders
PM adjusts task prioritization

When user stories change:

PM validates affected specs and acceptance criteria
PM ensures specs still deliver required user value
PM updates PRDs if requirements evolved

Bi-Directional Traceability:

Product Vision
    ↓
  OKRs ←→ Roadmap
    ↓         ↓
User Stories ← Customer Journeys
    ↓
  PRD (docs/product/02_PRD/NNN-topic-date.md)
    ↓
spec.md (.aod/spec.md)
    ↓
plan.md (.aod/plan.md)
    ↓
tasks.md (.aod/tasks.md)
    ↓
Implementation

Every artifact must trace upward to product vision and downward to implementation.

Enforcement Mechanisms

1. Constitutional Mandate

Constitution v1.2.0, Principle X makes PM sign-off NON-NEGOTIABLE.

2. Workflow Integration

Triad commands enforce PM sign-off:

/aod.plan requires approved PRD (chains spec → project-plan → tasks with governance gates at each step)
/aod.build requires PM-approved tasks.md

3. Pull Request Requirements

PRs without PM approval are blocked from merge:

PR checklist includes "PM Sign-Off: ✅"
CI/CD checks for PM approval section in artifacts
CODEOWNERS includes product-manager for product docs

4. Artifact Metadata

All Triad artifacts include metadata:

---
source_prd: docs/product/02_PRD/NNN-topic-YYYY-MM-DD.md
pm_approved: true
pm_approval_date: YYYY-MM-DD
pm_approver: product-manager
---

5. Validation Commands

Use /aod.analyze to validate product-spec consistency:

Checks PRD → spec → plan → tasks traceability
Validates all artifacts have PM sign-off
Identifies misalignments and missing approvals

Tools & Skills

Available to Product Manager

Skills:

kb-query - Search knowledge base for similar features
root-cause-analyzer - Dig into complex requirement ambiguities

Commands:

/aod.define <topic> - Create new PRD
/aod.plan - Plan stage orchestrator (chains spec → project-plan → tasks)
/aod.analyze - Validate product-spec consistency
/aod.clarify - Ask clarifying questions

Agents:

product-manager - Product Manager with alignment validation expertise

Common Alignment Issues

Issue 1: Spec Doesn't Reference User Value

Symptom: spec.md leads with technical implementation, buries user benefits

Fix: Require spec to lead with:

User problem being solved
Target persona(s)
User value delivered
Success metrics

PM Action: Veto until user-focused problem statement added

Issue 2: Plan Timeline Doesn't Match Roadmap

Symptom: plan.md proposes 8-week implementation for 4-week roadmap slot

Fix: Options:

Descope plan to fit timeline
Update roadmap if higher priority
Split into multiple phases

PM Action: Veto with required timeline alignment

Issue 3: Tasks Prioritize Technical Debt Over User Value

Symptom: tasks.md has P0 refactoring before P1 user features

Fix: Reorder tasks to prioritize:

P0: User-visible features from PRD
P1: Technical enablers for P0 features
P2: Technical debt that doesn't block users

PM Action: Veto with required reprioritization

Issue 4: Missing Success Metrics

Symptom: spec.md has no measurable success criteria

Fix: Add success metrics:

Leading indicators (usage, adoption)
Lagging indicators (business impact)
User satisfaction (NPS, CSAT)

PM Action: Veto until metrics defined

Issue 5: Scope Creep

Symptom: spec.md includes features marked out-of-scope in PRD

Fix: Remove out-of-scope items, create follow-up PRD for future phase

PM Action: Veto with scope enforcement

Success Criteria

Product-Spec Alignment is successful when:

✅ Every spec has a PRD: No technical work starts without product context
✅ Alignment is maintained: Product docs and Triad artifacts stay in sync
✅ User value is clear: Every feature has measurable user impact
✅ Strategy drives execution: OKRs and roadmap guide prioritization
✅ Quality is high: Specs are complete, unambiguous, and feasible
✅ Team is aligned: Engineering understands "why" and "who" not just "what"
✅ Traceability exists: Can trace from vision → OKR → PRD → spec → plan → tasks → code
✅ PM veto is rare: Most specs pass first review (indicates good upfront alignment)

References

Constitutional Authority

Constitution v1.2.0, Principle X

Product Manager Documentation

product-manager Agent

Related Core Principles

Product Documentation

Remember: The Product Manager's approval is not a rubber stamp. It's a critical quality gate ensuring we build the right product, not just build the product right.

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File metadata and controls

Product-Spec Alignment Requirements

Constitutional Authority

Rationale

The Product-Spec Workflow

Required Workflow (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

Product Manager Sign-Off Checklist

Vision Alignment

Strategic Alignment

Quality Standards

Documentation Standards

PM Sign-Off Template

Product Manager Veto Authority

When to Exercise Veto

Veto Template

Product Artifact Synchronization

Product Artifacts (docs/product/)

Triad Artifacts (.aod/)

Synchronization Requirements

Enforcement Mechanisms

1. Constitutional Mandate

2. Workflow Integration

3. Pull Request Requirements

4. Artifact Metadata

5. Validation Commands

Tools & Skills

Available to Product Manager

Common Alignment Issues

Issue 1: Spec Doesn't Reference User Value

Issue 2: Plan Timeline Doesn't Match Roadmap

Issue 3: Tasks Prioritize Technical Debt Over User Value

Issue 4: Missing Success Metrics

Issue 5: Scope Creep

Success Criteria

References

Constitutional Authority

Product Manager Documentation

Related Core Principles

Product Documentation