How to Effectively Create PRDs Using Claude and Perplexity

Phase 1: Research with Perplexity (Sonar)

So, as you know, before you begin writing your super awesome Product Requirements Document for your super awesome new idea and coding venture, you must first do some research.

This is especially true if you are working with AI in an IDE such as Cursor or Windsurf.

Lucky for you, Perplexity is amazing at this and will assist you perfectly, if you throw it the right lob (I'm pretty sure I used this term wrong lol).

The Research Game Plan

Think of Perplexity as your research assistant who never gets tired of digging through the internet for you. Here's how to maximize its potential:

Start with the big picture questions:

"What are the current market trends for [your product category]?"
"Who are the main competitors in [your space] and what features do they offer?"
"What are the latest technical innovations in [relevant technology]?"

Then drill down into specifics:

"What are common user pain points with existing [similar products]?"
"What are the technical requirements for building [your core feature]?"
"What are the regulatory considerations for [your industry]?"

Pro tip: Don't just ask one question and call it done. Think of it like peeling an onion – each answer should lead to more specific follow-up questions. Perplexity excels at this iterative research approach because it can access real-time information and cite sources.

Phase 2: Synthesis and Structure with Claude

Once you've gathered your research mountain (and trust me, Perplexity will give you a mountain), it's time to bring in Claude for the heavy lifting. This is where the magic happens – transforming raw research into a coherent, actionable PRD.

Domain Modeling Your PRD

Before jumping into writing, spend time with Claude to model your product domain. Think of this as building the blueprint before constructing the house.

Start by defining your core entities:

Users: Who are they? What are their roles, needs, and constraints?
Features: What are the main capabilities your product will provide?
Systems: What are the technical components and how do they interact?
Workflows: How will users move through your product to achieve their goals?

Claude is particularly good at helping you think through edge cases and relationships between these entities that you might have missed. Ask questions like:

"What happens when a user tries to [edge case scenario]?"
"How do these features interact with each other?"
"What are the dependencies between these systems?"

The PRD Writing Process

Now comes the fun part – actually writing the thing! Here's the approach that works incredibly well:

1. Start with the Executive Summary Work with Claude to distill your research into a compelling one-page summary. This forces you to clarify your thinking and ensures everyone stays aligned on the core vision.

2. Build Out User Stories Claude excels at helping you write comprehensive user stories that go beyond the basic "As a user, I want..." format. Push for stories that include:

Context and motivation
Success criteria
Edge cases and error handling
Integration points with other features

3. Technical Requirements Deep Dive This is where your domain modeling pays off. Claude can help you:

Translate user needs into technical specifications
Identify potential technical risks and mitigation strategies
Define APIs and data models
Plan for scalability and performance requirements

4. Acceptance Criteria That Actually Work Too many PRDs have vague acceptance criteria that leave developers guessing. Work with Claude to create criteria that are:

Specific and measurable
Testable by QA
Aligned with user value
Clear about what's in scope and what's not

Phase 3: Validation and Iteration

Here's where most people mess up – they think they're done after writing the PRD. Nope! The real work is in validation and iteration.

Using Claude for PRD Review

Claude is fantastic for playing devil's advocate with your PRD. Ask it to:

Identify gaps or contradictions in your requirements
Challenge your assumptions about user behavior
Suggest alternative approaches to complex features
Review for clarity and completeness

The Feedback Loop

Use both tools in combination for ongoing refinement:

Perplexity for validating assumptions with current market data
Claude for restructuring and improving clarity based on feedback

Don't be afraid to go back to Perplexity if Claude's review reveals knowledge gaps. Sometimes the best insights come from this iterative dance between research and synthesis.

Pro Tips for Maximum Effectiveness

1. Version Control Your Prompts As you work through iterations, keep track of the prompts that yield the best results. Build yourself a prompt library for future PRDs.

2. Use Claude's Context Window Strategically Claude can hold a lot of context, but be strategic about what you include. Lead with your domain model and key research findings, then add specific sections as needed.

3. Don't Automate Away Your Brain These tools are amplifiers, not replacements. Use your judgment to evaluate their suggestions, especially when it comes to product strategy and user empathy.

4. Create Templates for Future You After completing a few PRDs with this process, work with Claude to create reusable templates and checklists that capture your lessons learned.

Wrapping Up

The combination of Perplexity's research capabilities and Claude's synthesis and writing skills creates a powerful workflow for PRD creation. The key is treating them as thinking partners rather than just content generators.

Your PRD should emerge from this process not just as a document, but as a well-researched, thoroughly thought-through blueprint for building something awesome. And honestly, that's exactly what you need when you're handing it off to your development team (or feeding it into your AI coding assistant).

Remember: garbage in, garbage out. The quality of your research phase directly impacts the quality of your final PRD. Invest the time upfront, and your future self (and your team) will thank you.