Top 10 Actions to Building Requirements Right

Don’t be an ostrich, keep your head up and eyes wide open

Getting requirements right isn’t luck. It’s discipline, curiosity, and constant translation. Here’s what the pros do differently 👇

10. Start with the problem, not the wish list. If you can’t articulate what problem you’re solving, every requirement will feel important but none will be justifiable.

9. Anchor every business requirement to an outcome. Tie it to measurable value. “Why does this matter?” should have a clear answer every time.

8. Write for understanding, not approval. A signed document is useless if no one truly understands what it means.

7. Involve the right stakeholders early in the process. Users, executives, developers, analysts, etc… Bring them into the conversation before you lock things down and you’ll save weeks later.

6. Build in traceability from day one. Don’t just build a running list. Spend time mapping requirement to design specs to build components to testing scenarios to outcomes.

5. Challenge assumptions (nicely). Half of good requirements work is saying, “Help me understand why we need this.”

4. Document decisions, not just details. The “why” behind a requirement is often more valuable than the wording itself.

3. Use visuals. A quick sketch or workflow beats three paragraphs of text every time.

2. Validate continuously. Don’t wait for testing to learn you missed the mark. Engage customers early and often.

1. Treat requirements as living, not frozen. Change happens so great teams manage it not just hide their heads in the sand like an ostrich.

Building solid requirements isn’t about paperwork, its about leadership and positioning for success.

What’s your go-to move when you’re defining requirements?