Writing Clearly
Help PMs write clear, concise prose for PM artifacts. Applies principles of plain language, structure, and scannability to make communications effective and easy to act on.
When to Use
- Writing or editing a PRD
- Drafting status updates or stakeholder comms
- Composing Slack posts or emails
- Creating documentation or runbooks
- When asked "help me make this clearer" or "tighten this up"
Process / Template
1. Identify the Artifact and Audience
- What are you writing? (PRD, update, post, doc)
- Who will read it? (engineers, leadership, customers)
- What do they need to do? (decide, build, understand, act)
2. Apply Clear Writing Principles
Lead with the main point
- Put the conclusion or ask first
- Don't bury the lead in the last paragraph
Use plain language
- Prefer short words over long (use vs. utilize, help vs. facilitate)
- Prefer active voice (we will ship vs. it will be shipped)
- Cut jargon unless the audience expects it
Be specific
- Use numbers, dates, names instead of "soon," "many," "several"
- Replace vague terms with concrete ones
Structure for scannability
- Use headers, bullets, and short paragraphs
- One idea per paragraph
- Front-load key info in each sentence
Cut ruthlessly
- Remove filler (e.g., "in order to" → "to")
- Remove redundancy
- If a sentence doesn't add value, cut it
3. Use the Right Format
| Artifact |
Key Moves |
| PRD |
Clear problem statement, explicit requirements, scannable sections |
| Status update |
TL;DR first, bullets, metrics, explicit asks |
| Slack/email |
Short paragraphs, one ask per message |
| Doc/runbook |
Step-by-step, headers, examples |
4. Edit in Passes
- Pass 1 — Structure: does the order make sense?
- Pass 2 — Clarity: can a reader understand it in one pass?
- Pass 3 — Brevity: what can be cut?
5. Validate
- Can the reader answer: What? Why? What do I do?
- Would a busy executive get it in 2 minutes?
- Are there ambiguous pronouns or missing context?
Output
Clear, concise prose that:
- Communicates the intended message
- Is easy to scan and act on
- Respects the reader's time
- Fits the format (PRD, Slack, email, doc)
1---2name: writing-clearly3description: Help PMs write clear, concise prose for PM artifacts. Use for PRDs, status updates, Slack posts, emails, and documentation.4---56# Writing Clearly78Help PMs write clear, concise prose for PM artifacts. Applies principles of plain language, structure, and scannability to make communications effective and easy to act on.910## When to Use1112- Writing or editing a PRD13- Drafting status updates or stakeholder comms14- Composing Slack posts or emails15- Creating documentation or runbooks16- When asked "help me make this clearer" or "tighten this up"1718## Process / Template1920### 1. Identify the Artifact and Audience2122- What are you writing? (PRD, update, post, doc)23- Who will read it? (engineers, leadership, customers)24- What do they need to do? (decide, build, understand, act)2526### 2. Apply Clear Writing Principles2728**Lead with the main point**29- Put the conclusion or ask first30- Don't bury the lead in the last paragraph3132**Use plain language**33- Prefer short words over long (use vs. utilize, help vs. facilitate)34- Prefer active voice (we will ship vs. it will be shipped)35- Cut jargon unless the audience expects it3637**Be specific**38- Use numbers, dates, names instead of "soon," "many," "several"39- Replace vague terms with concrete ones4041**Structure for scannability**42- Use headers, bullets, and short paragraphs43- One idea per paragraph44- Front-load key info in each sentence4546**Cut ruthlessly**47- Remove filler (e.g., "in order to" → "to")48- Remove redundancy49- If a sentence doesn't add value, cut it5051### 3. Use the Right Format5253| Artifact | Key Moves |54|----------|-----------|55| PRD | Clear problem statement, explicit requirements, scannable sections |56| Status update | TL;DR first, bullets, metrics, explicit asks |57| Slack/email | Short paragraphs, one ask per message |58| Doc/runbook | Step-by-step, headers, examples |5960### 4. Edit in Passes6162- **Pass 1** — Structure: does the order make sense?63- **Pass 2** — Clarity: can a reader understand it in one pass?64- **Pass 3** — Brevity: what can be cut?6566### 5. Validate6768- Can the reader answer: What? Why? What do I do?69- Would a busy executive get it in 2 minutes?70- Are there ambiguous pronouns or missing context?7172## Output7374Clear, concise prose that:75- Communicates the intended message76- Is easy to scan and act on77- Respects the reader's time78- Fits the format (PRD, Slack, email, doc)
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