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Write a press release and FAQ (working backwards)

Before building, write a one-page press release announcing the finished product, plus a list of tough questions and answers. If you cannot write a convincing release, the idea is not ready yet.

About 1-3 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026

Who this applies to

Skills it builds
Communication and influenceStrategy and vision
PM types
All
Product types
All
Starting points
All
Ways of working
All
Experience
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)Experienced (5+ years)
Size of organisation
All

Steps, by experience

Beginner (under 1 year)

  1. Write a headline that names the product and the main benefit for the user.
  2. In the first paragraph, say who it is for and what it lets them do.
  3. Describe the problem it solves, in the user's words.
  4. Explain how it solves it, without technical detail.
  5. Add a made-up quote from a user describing the difference it makes.
  6. Write an FAQ: the questions users would ask, then the hard internal ones about cost, risk and how it will be built.

Intermediate (1 to 4 years)

  1. Write a one-page press release from the user's point of view.
  2. Write customer and internal FAQs covering the hardest questions.
  3. Review with the team and stakeholders, and rewrite until the benefit is clear.
  4. Use open FAQ questions to guide the next round of testing.

Experienced (5+ years)

  1. Use the PR/FAQ to test whether the customer benefit is big enough to justify the investment.
  2. Run a review where readers read silently first, then challenge the document.
  3. Iterate several drafts; be willing to stop if the benefit stays weak.
  4. Keep the final PR/FAQ as the reference point for scope decisions later.

Who can do this

Owner: Product manager

Can be delegated to

  • Content Designer: Edit the press release so it is short, clear and free of jargon
  • Tech Lead: Answer the internal FAQ questions on feasibility and cost

Reviewed by: Tech Lead, UX Designer, Policy / Legal / Compliance

Tool examples

Google Docs
Write the press release on page one and the FAQ after it, and ask reviewers to comment before the meeting.
Confluence
Keep each draft as a page version so you can see how the idea sharpened.
Claude
Ask it to read your press release as a sceptical customer and list what is unclear or unconvincing.

Definition of done

  • One-page press release written from the user's point of view
  • Customer and internal FAQs answer the hardest questions
  • Reviewed and revised at least once

Common pitfalls

  • Writing marketing copy instead of a clear user benefit
  • Skipping the hard internal questions
  • Treating the document as approval rather than a test of the idea

If you lead the team

What good looks like: Big bets start with a one-page press release and hard questions, so the value is clear before building.

Ask your PM

  • Would a customer care about this announcement?
  • Which tough question did we struggle to answer?

Warning signs

  • The press release lists features, not customer value.
  • Hard questions are skipped.

Do these first

Sources