Adapted from: How to Write Awesome Tech Specs by Lyft Engineering

Summary

2-3 sentences describing the who/what/when/where/why of your entire project.

Background

The "why" and the existing context.

Goals

Expected outcomes, both objective and subjective.

Non-goals

What intentionally are you not doing? Define and limit the scope.

Plan

The longest section of the spec, level of detail depending on audience. Describe the engineering approach, include architectural diagrams.

Measuring Impact

What metrics will you use to measure whether this project met its intended goal?

Security, Privacy, Risks

What are potential risks and how are you mitigating them?

Other Considerations

Other approaches you considered but decided against and why.

Milestones

Break the project out into intermediate milestones with estimated dates.

Open Questions

Unresolved questions you are still working through and need feedback on.

 

Note: This template serves as a starting point for creating a tech spec. Customize it to fit the specific needs and requirements of your company and the nature of the proposed projects. Regularly review and update the template to ensure it aligns with your evolving knowledge management practices.