Press Release

Purpose

Create a visionary press release following Amazon's "Working Backwards" methodology to define and communicate a product or feature before building it. Use this to align stakeholders on the customer value proposition, clarify the problem being solved, and test if the product story resonates—treating the press release as a forcing function for clarity and customer-centricity.

This is not a marketing artifact for launch day—it's a planning tool that asks "If we shipped this perfectly, how would we explain it to the world?"

Key Concepts

The Amazon Working Backwards Framework

Popularized by Amazon, the Working Backwards process starts with a press release and FAQ before any code is written. The press release must:

• Be written from the customer's perspective
• Focus on the problem solved, not the features built
• Be short (1-1.5 pages)
• Be compelling enough that customers would want the product

Press Release Structure

A standard press release follows this format:

1. Headline: Clear, benefit-focused product announcement 2. Dateline: City, state, date 3. Introduction paragraph: What's being launched, who it's for, key benefit 4. Problem paragraph: Customer problem the product solves 5. Solution paragraph: How the product addresses the problem (outcomes, not features) 6. Quote from company leader: Vision, customer commitment 7. Additional details: Supporting benefits or data 8. Boilerplate: Company background 9. Call to action: How to learn more 10. Media contact: Press contact information

Why This Works

• Customer-first thinking: Forces you to articulate value from the customer's perspective
• Clarity forcing function: If you can't write a compelling press release, the product idea may be weak
• Alignment tool: Stakeholders can read and react to the vision before engineering starts
• Decision filter: If a feature wouldn't make it into the press release, question its priority

Anti-Patterns (What This Is NOT)

• Not feature-centric: Don't list specs—focus on customer outcomes
• Not internal jargon: Write for customers, not engineers
• Not vague: "Revolutionizes productivity" is fluff; "Reduces report generation time from 8 hours to 10 minutes" is real
• Not marketing spin: Be honest about what the product does

When to Use This

• Defining a new product or major feature
• Aligning stakeholders on vision before development
• Testing if a product idea is compelling
• Pitching to execs or securing buy-in

When NOT to Use This

• For trivial features (don't over-engineer small tweaks)
• After you've already built the product (too late)
• As actual launch-day press release (this is a planning doc, not final marketing copy)

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Application

Use template.md for the full fill-in structure.

Step 1: Gather Context

Before drafting, ensure you have:

• Product/feature description: What are you building?
• Target customer/persona: Who is this for? (reference skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md)
• Problem statement: What customer problem does this solve? (reference skills/problem-statement/SKILL.md)
• Key benefits: What outcomes does it deliver?
• Competitive context: How is this different from alternatives? (reference skills/positioning-statement/SKILL.md)
• Company mission/values: How does this fit the company's vision?

If missing context: Run discovery, define the problem statement, or clarify positioning first.

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Step 2: Draft the Headline

Create a clear, benefit-focused headline:

"[Product/Feature Name] by [Company] Aims to [Main Benefit/Goal]"

Quality checks:

• Benefit-focused: Does it say what the customer gets, not just what you built?
• Specific: "Aims to simplify workflows" is vague; "Aims to cut invoice processing time by 60%" is specific
• Memorable: Can someone repeat this headline in a conversation?

Examples:

• ✅ "Acme Workflows Launches Invoice Automation to Cut Processing Time by 60% for Small Businesses"
• ❌ "Acme Launches New Product with AI Features"

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Step 3: Write the Dateline and Introduction

[City], [State], [Country], [Date] —

Today, [Company], a [type of organization], announced [key news], a [brief description]. This [product/feature] is set to [main benefit], addressing [key customer problem].

Quality checks:

• Concise: 2-3 sentences max
• Customer problem mentioned: Don't jump to solution—name the problem first

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Step 4: Explain the Problem

[Product/feature] solves [specific customer problem]. According to [source or customer insight], [supporting data or quote that validates the problem].

Quality checks:

• Specific problem: Not "inefficiency" but "manual invoice processing takes 8 hours per month"
• Validated: Include data, customer quotes, or research to prove the problem is real

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Step 5: Describe the Solution (Outcome-Focused)

[Product/feature] addresses this by [how it solves the problem—focus on outcomes]. [Quote from company leader]: "[Insert quote that emphasizes customer value, not features]."

Quality checks:

• Outcome-first: "Reduces processing time" not "includes OCR technology"
• Quote is visionary: Should reflect customer empathy and company values

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Step 6: Add Supporting Details

In addition to [key benefit], [product/feature] also [additional benefits]. According to [statistic or source], [supporting data].

Quality checks:

• Data-driven: Use numbers where possible (time savings, cost reduction, etc.)
• Customer-centric: Still focused on "what they get," not "what we built"

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Step 7: Include Boilerplate

[Company], founded in [year], is a [type of company] known for [main products/services]. With a focus on [company mission or values], [Company] has [achievements or milestones].

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Step 8: Add Call to Action and Media Contact

For more information about [product/feature], visit [website] or contact [media contact name] at [contact info].

**Media Contact Information:**
[Name]
Title: [Title]
Phone: [Phone]
Email: [Email]

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Step 9: Test the Press Release

Ask these questions: 1. Would a customer care? If you sent this to a target customer, would they want to learn more? 2. Is the problem clear? Can someone who's never heard of your product understand the pain point? 3. Are benefits measurable? Can you prove the claims (time savings, cost reduction, etc.)? 4. Is it jargon-free? Could your mom understand it? 5. Does it pass the "so what?" test? If someone reads this and says "so what?" you haven't articulated value.

If any answer is "no," revise.

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Examples

See examples/sample.md for full press release examples.

Mini example excerpt:

**Headline:** "Acme Launches SmartInvoice to Cut Processing Time by 60%"
**Problem:** Small businesses spend 8 hours/month on manual invoices
**Solution:** Automates extraction and approvals to save time

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Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Feature List Instead of Benefits

Symptom: "Includes AI, ML, OCR, NLP, and real-time sync"

Consequence: Customers don't care about features—they care about outcomes.

Fix: Translate features to benefits: "AI-powered automation reduces invoice processing time by 60%."

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Pitfall 2: Vague Problem Statement

Symptom: "Solves inefficiency in workflows"

Consequence: No one recognizes themselves in this problem.

Fix: Be specific: "Small business owners spend 8 hours/month manually entering invoice data."

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Pitfall 3: Jargon-Heavy Language

Symptom: "Leverages cutting-edge ML models to optimize enterprise-grade workflows"

Consequence: Customers can't understand what you're saying.

Fix: Write like you're explaining it to a friend: "Automatically handles invoices so you don't have to."

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Pitfall 4: Generic Executive Quote

Symptom: "We're excited to bring innovation to market"

Consequence: Quote adds no value. Could apply to any product.

Fix: Make it customer-focused: "Business owners shouldn't spend weekends processing invoices—they should spend that time with family."

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Pitfall 5: No Data or Validation

Symptom: "Customers will love this revolutionary new solution"

Consequence: Unsubstantiated claims = marketing fluff.

Fix: Add data: "Beta users saved an average of 5 hours per month" or "68% of SMBs cite invoice processing as their top admin burden."

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References

Related Skills

• skills/problem-statement/SKILL.md — Defines the customer problem the press release highlights
• skills/positioning-statement/SKILL.md — Informs the differentiation and value proposition
• skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md — Defines the target customer mentioned in the press release
• skills/jobs-to-be-done/SKILL.md — Informs the customer benefits and outcomes

External Frameworks

• Amazon's Working Backwards process — Origin of the press release-first methodology
• Ian McAllister's Quora answer on Amazon's press release template (2012) — Widely cited explanation
• Colin Bryar & Bill Carr, Working Backwards (2021) — Book on Amazon's product development process

Dean's Work

• Visionary Press Release Prompt (inspired by Amazon's Working Backwards methodology)

Provenance

• Adapted from prompts/visionary-press-release.md in the https://github.com/deanpeters/product-manager-prompts repo.

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Skill type: Component Suggested filename: press-release.md Suggested placement: /skills/components/ Dependencies: References skills/problem-statement/SKILL.md, skills/positioning-statement/SKILL.md, skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md, skills/jobs-to-be-done/SKILL.md

Press Release Examples

Example 1: Good Press Release (Hypothetical Invoice Automation Product)

**Headline:**
"Acme Workflows Launches SmartInvoice to Cut Invoice Processing Time by 60% for Small Business Owners"

**Dateline:**
San Francisco, CA, USA, February 4, 2026 —

**Introduction:**
Today, Acme Workflows, a workflow automation platform, announced SmartInvoice, an AI-powered invoice processing tool. This solution is set to reduce manual invoice handling time from 8 hours per month to under 3 hours for small business owners, addressing the costly and error-prone nature of manual data entry.

**Problem Paragraph:**
Small business owners spend an average of 8 hours per month manually processing invoices—reviewing line items, entering data into accounting software, and chasing approvals. This repetitive work pulls them away from revenue-generating activities and introduces costly errors. According to a 2025 survey of 500 SMBs, 68% cited invoice processing as their top administrative burden.

**Solution Paragraph:**
SmartInvoice addresses this by automatically extracting invoice data, matching it to purchase orders, and routing approvals—all in under 10 minutes per invoice. "Small business owners shouldn't spend their evenings copying invoice data into spreadsheets," said Jane Doe, CEO of Acme Workflows. "SmartInvoice gives them back their time so they can focus on growing their business."

**Additional Details:**
In addition to time savings, SmartInvoice reduces data entry errors by 95% and integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks. Early beta users reported saving an average of 5 hours per month, with one customer calling it "the first tool that actually feels like it works for me, not the other way around."

**Boilerplate:**
Acme Workflows, founded in 2020, is a workflow automation platform known for helping small businesses eliminate repetitive tasks. With a focus on simplicity and time savings, Acme Workflows has helped over 10,000 businesses reclaim 50,000+ hours since launch.

**Call to Action:**
For more information about SmartInvoice, visit acmeworkflows.com/smartinvoice or contact Sarah Johnson at press@acmeworkflows.com.

**Media Contact:**
Sarah Johnson
Title: Director of Communications
Phone: (555) 123-4567
Email: press@acmeworkflows.com

Why this works:

• Headline is specific (60% time reduction)
• Problem is measurable (8 hours/month) and validated (survey data)
• Solution focuses on outcomes (time savings, error reduction) not features
• Quote is empathetic and customer-focused
• Supporting details include real customer feedback

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Example 2: Bad Press Release (Feature-Centric)

**Headline:**
"Acme Launches New Product with AI and Machine Learning"

**Introduction:**
Today, Acme announced ProductX, a next-generation platform with advanced AI capabilities, machine learning algorithms, and cloud-based infrastructure.

**Details:**
ProductX includes OCR technology, natural language processing, and real-time data synchronization. "We're excited to bring cutting-edge innovation to market," said the CEO.

**Call to Action:**
Learn more at acme.com.

Why this fails:

• Headline is vague ("AI and machine learning" = buzzwords without meaning)
• No customer problem mentioned
• Feature list (OCR, NLP, sync) without explaining what customers get
• Quote is generic ("excited to innovate" = says nothing)
• No data, no validation, no customer voice

How to fix it:

• Lead with the customer problem: "Small businesses waste 8 hours/month on manual invoice processing"
• Frame solution as outcome: "ProductX cuts that time to under 1 hour"
• Replace feature list with benefits: "Automatically extracts invoice data and routes approvals"
• Make the quote customer-focused: "Business owners deserve their evenings back"

Press Release Template

Use this template to draft a Working Backwards press release.

Provenance

Adapted from prompts/visionary-press-release.md in the https://github.com/deanpeters/product-manager-prompts repo.

Template

**Headline:**
"[Product/Feature Name] by [Company] Aims to [Main Benefit/Goal]"

**Dateline:**
"[City], [State/Province], [Country], [Date] —"

**Introduction:**
Today, [Company], a [type of organization], announced [key news], a [brief description]. This [product/feature] is set to [main benefit], addressing [key customer problem].

**Problem Paragraph:**
[Describe the customer problem and its impact. Include a supporting data point or insight if available.]

**Solution Paragraph:**
[Describe how the product solves the problem in outcome terms]. "[Customer-focused quote]," said [Company leader].

**Additional Details:**
[Add supporting benefits, integrations, or data points.]

**Boilerplate:**
[Company], founded in [year], is a [type of company] known for [main products/services]. With a focus on [mission/values], [Company] has [achievements or milestones].

**Call to Action:**
For more information about [product/feature], visit [website] or contact [media contact name] at [contact info].

**Media Contact:**
[Name]
Title: [Title]
Phone: [Phone]
Email: [Email]