Tung Nguyen
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Requirements That Actually Get Read

Most requirements documents gather dust. Here's how I write specs that stakeholders actually use.

clarityalignmentcommunication

The Problem With Requirements Docs

I've seen 200-page specs that no one reads. They check a compliance box, then sit in SharePoint forever.

Good requirements are used, not just written.

What Makes Requirements Readable

Consider these differences:

| Ignored Specs | Useful Specs | | ------------------ | -------------------- | | Wall of text | Scannable structure | | Technical jargon | Stakeholder language | | Everything at once | Progressive detail | | Abstract rules | Concrete examples |

Principles I Follow

Writing specs that get used requires:

  1. Know your audience — engineers need different detail than executives
  2. Lead with decisions — what's decided, what's open, what's out of scope
  3. Use examples liberally — "e.g." is your friend

Good specs get used. Great specs get referenced.


Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.