# Edge Cases
## Purpose
Provide comprehensive guidance for handling edge cases, conflicts, and unusual situations that may arise during PRD development. This handbook ensures consistent, thoughtful resolution of complex scenarios.
## Conflict Resolution Framework
### 1. Stakeholder Conflicts
**Common Scenarios:**
- Different stakeholders have conflicting requirements
- Business objectives conflict with user needs
- Technical constraints conflict with business timeline
- Budget limitations conflict with scope expectations
**Resolution Process:**
1. **Document All Perspectives**: Capture each stakeholder's position and rationale
2. **Identify Root Causes**: Understand underlying concerns and motivations
3. **Analyze Impact**: Assess consequences of each approach
4. **Propose Solutions**: Develop options that address core concerns
5. **Facilitate Decision**: Guide stakeholders to consensus or escalate appropriately
**Template for Conflict Documentation:**
## Conflict: [Brief Description]
### Stakeholder Positions:
**Stakeholder A**: [Position and rationale]
**Stakeholder B**: [Position and rationale]
**Stakeholder C**: [Position and rationale]
### Root Cause Analysis:
[Underlying reasons for conflict]
### Impact Analysis:
**Option A Impact**: [Consequences of choosing position A]
**Option B Impact**: [Consequences of choosing position B]
**Option C Impact**: [Consequences of choosing position C]
### Proposed Resolution:
[Recommended approach with rationale]
### Decision Process:
[How decision will be made and by whom]
### Implementation Plan:
[How resolution will be implemented]
### 2. Technical Impossibilities
**Common Scenarios:**
- Functional requirements that exceed technical capabilities
- Performance requirements that are technically unfeasible
- Integration requirements with incompatible systems
- Security requirements that conflict with usability needs
**Handling Process:**
1. **Validate Technical Assessment**: Confirm technical limitations with experts
2. **Explore Alternatives**: Identify alternative approaches to meet core needs
3. **Assess Trade-offs**: Understand implications of different approaches
4. **Propose Phased Solutions**: Consider multi-phase implementation
5. **Document Constraints**: Clearly document technical limitations and their impact
**Template for Technical Constraint Documentation:**
## Technical Constraint: [Brief Description]
### Constraint Details:
**Technical Limitation**: [Specific technical constraint]
**Root Cause**: [Why this constraint exists]
**Impact**: [What this prevents or limits]
### Alternative Approaches:
**Option 1**: [Alternative approach and trade-offs]
**Option 2**: [Alternative approach and trade-offs]
**Option 3**: [Alternative approach and trade-offs]
### Recommended Solution:
[Recommended approach with rationale]
### Future Considerations:
[How constraint might be addressed in future]
### Documentation Requirements:
[What needs to be documented for future reference]
## Information Gaps and Uncertainties
### 1. Missing User Research
**When User Research is Limited:**
- Use proxy research from similar products or markets
- Leverage internal stakeholder knowledge and experience
- Create assumption-based personas with clear validation plans
- Plan rapid user research to validate critical assumptions
**Assumption Framework:**
## User Research Assumptions
### Assumption: [Clear statement of assumption]
**Confidence Level**: High/Medium/Low
**Impact if Wrong**: High/Medium/Low
**Validation Method**: [How assumption will be tested]
**Validation Timeline**: [When validation will occur]
**Contingency Plan**: [What to do if assumption is wrong]
### 2. Incomplete Market Data
**When Market Information is Scarce:**
- Use analogous markets and proxy data
- Leverage industry reports and analyst research
- Create conservative estimates with clear assumptions
- Plan market validation activities
**Market Assumption Template:**
## Market Assumption: [Brief Description]
### Assumption Details:
[Specific market assumption being made]
### Data Sources:
[What data supports this assumption]
### Confidence Assessment:
**Confidence Level**: [High/Medium/Low]
**Supporting Evidence**: [Evidence that supports assumption]
**Contradicting Evidence**: [Evidence that challenges assumption]
### Validation Plan:
[How assumption will be validated]
### Impact Analysis:
[What happens if assumption is wrong]
### 3. Uncertain Technical Feasibility
**When Technical Feasibility is Unclear:**
- Plan technical spikes and proof-of-concepts
- Consult with external technical experts
- Create multiple technical approaches with different risk levels
- Plan iterative validation of technical assumptions
## Resource and Timeline Constraints
### 1. Severe Budget Limitations
**Strategies for Budget Constraints:**
- Focus ruthlessly on MVP and core value proposition
- Consider phased development approach
- Evaluate build vs. buy decisions more aggressively
- Plan for creative resource acquisition (interns, contractors, partnerships)
**Budget Constraint Documentation:**
## Budget Constraint Analysis
### Constraint Details:
**Available Budget**: [Total available budget]
**Required Budget**: [Estimated required budget]
**Gap**: [Difference between available and required]
### Scope Reduction Options:
**Option 1**: [Scope reduction and impact]
**Option 2**: [Scope reduction and impact]
**Option 3**: [Scope reduction and impact]
### Alternative Funding:
[Potential alternative funding sources]
### Phased Approach:
[How to phase development within budget]
### Risk Assessment:
[Risks of operating within budget constraint]
### 2. Aggressive Timeline Pressure
**Strategies for Timeline Pressure:**
- Identify true minimum viable product
- Plan parallel development streams where possible
- Consider team augmentation with contractors
- Evaluate scope reduction opportunities aggressively
**Timeline Pressure Analysis:**
## Timeline Pressure Analysis
### Timeline Constraint:
**Required Timeline**: [Business-driven timeline]
**Estimated Timeline**: [Realistic development timeline]
**Gap**: [Difference between required and estimated]
### Acceleration Options:
**Option 1**: [Approach to reduce timeline and trade-offs]
**Option 2**: [Approach to reduce timeline and trade-offs]
**Option 3**: [Approach to reduce timeline and trade-offs]
### Risk Assessment:
[Risks of accelerated timeline]
### Quality Impact:
[How timeline pressure affects quality]
### Recommendation:
[Recommended approach with rationale]
## Complex User Scenarios
### 1. Diverse User Needs
**When User Needs are Highly Diverse:**
- Focus on primary use cases and users initially
- Plan configurable or customizable solutions
- Consider platform approach for extensibility
- Document user diversity and plan for future expansion
**User Diversity Management:**
## User Diversity Analysis
### User Segments:
**Primary Segment**: [Description and needs]
**Secondary Segment**: [Description and needs]
**Tertiary Segment**: [Description and needs]
### Needs Analysis:
**Common Needs**: [Needs shared across segments]
**Unique Needs**: [Needs specific to each segment]
**Conflicting Needs**: [Where segments have conflicting needs]
### Solution Approach:
[How to address diverse needs]
### Prioritization:
[How to prioritize across segments]
### Future Expansion:
[How to expand to serve more segments]
### 2. Expert vs. Novice Users
**When User Expertise Varies Widely:**
- Design progressive disclosure for complex features
- Plan multiple interaction paths for different expertise levels
- Include contextual help and guidance systems
- Consider role-based or customizable interfaces
## Regulatory and Compliance Challenges
### 1. Unclear Regulatory Requirements
**When Compliance Requirements are Ambiguous:**
- Consult with legal and compliance experts
- Research similar products and their compliance approaches
- Plan for conservative compliance interpretation initially
- Build flexibility for regulatory changes
**Regulatory Uncertainty Documentation:**
## Regulatory Uncertainty: [Regulation Name]
### Uncertainty Details:
[What aspects of regulation are unclear]
### Expert Consultation:
[Legal/compliance expert opinions]
### Conservative Approach:
[Most conservative interpretation and implementation]
### Monitoring Plan:
[How to monitor for regulatory clarification]
### Adaptation Strategy:
[How to adapt if interpretation changes]
### 2. Conflicting Regulations
**When Multiple Regulations Conflict:**
- Identify the most restrictive requirements
- Consult with legal experts for interpretation
- Plan for jurisdiction-specific implementations
- Document compliance approach clearly
## Market and Competitive Uncertainties
### 1. Rapidly Changing Market
**When Market Conditions are Volatile:**
- Plan for multiple market scenarios
- Build flexibility into product architecture
- Focus on core value that transcends market changes
- Plan rapid iteration and adaptation capabilities
**Market Volatility Planning:**
## Market Scenario Planning
### Scenario 1: [Market condition description]
**Probability**: [Likelihood assessment]
**Impact**: [Effect on product strategy]
**Response**: [How product would adapt]
### Scenario 2: [Market condition description]
**Probability**: [Likelihood assessment]
**Impact**: [Effect on product strategy]
**Response**: [How product would adapt]
### Scenario 3: [Market condition description]
**Probability**: [Likelihood assessment]
**Impact**: [Effect on product strategy]
**Response**: [How product would adapt]
### Adaptive Strategy:
[How to maintain flexibility across scenarios]
### 2. Uncertain Competitive Response
**When Competitive Response is Unpredictable:**
- Plan for multiple competitive scenarios
- Build defensible advantages and moats
- Focus on unique value proposition
- Plan rapid response capabilities
## Decision-Making Frameworks
### 1. When Perfect Information is Unavailable
**Decision Framework:**
1. **Gather Available Information**: Collect all available data
2. **Identify Key Assumptions**: Document critical assumptions
3. **Assess Risk Tolerance**: Understand stakeholder risk appetite
4. **Plan Validation**: Create plan to validate assumptions quickly
5. **Make Reversible Decisions**: Prefer decisions that can be changed
6. **Document Rationale**: Record decision reasoning for future reference
### 2. When Stakeholders Cannot Reach Consensus
**Escalation Framework:**
1. **Facilitate Discussion**: Ensure all perspectives are heard
2. **Identify Decision Criteria**: Establish objective criteria for decision
3. **Present Options**: Clearly present alternatives with pros/cons
4. **Recommend Approach**: Provide professional recommendation
5. **Escalate if Necessary**: Escalate to appropriate decision-maker
6. **Document Decision**: Record final decision and rationale
## Quality Assurance for Edge Cases
### Validation Checklist:
- [ ] All conflicts documented and resolved
- [ ] All assumptions clearly marked and validation planned
- [ ] All constraints acknowledged and addressed
- [ ] All edge cases have documented handling approach
- [ ] All decisions have clear rationale and ownership
### Review Process:
1. **Edge Case Review**: Specific review of edge case handling
2. **Stakeholder Validation**: Confirm stakeholder agreement on resolutions
3. **Expert Consultation**: Validate technical and market assumptions
4. **Documentation Review**: Ensure all edge cases are properly documented