Ask HN: How do you write the best specifications for a developer?

2 pointsoziumjinx3 comments

Im a non-programmer founder and I always find it somewhat tricky to write out specs for products/features/updates/etc for developers. I want to properly explain the product vision in the best manner for a developer.

Any tips, links, advice or suggestions to help folks like myself out?

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Write it together.

Grab a cup of coffee together, in person, or each on Skype and brainstorm over several hours. Talk talk talk.

If your developer has any experience, his inner architect will come out and he will know what needs to be done.

Ask him to help you write a draft, go over it together with Google docs, each highlighting in a different color, and presto. There is your specification.

If the developer is a freelancer, compensate him for his design and time; 4x the hourly development rates is fair for arch/design.

Thanks. My main concern was how detailed to make the specs. Should I start with one document from a 50,000 foot view of the overall product value/vision, and then another document drilling down into each specific aspect of the application?

If you know html/css, create the mockups with sample data he can play with and go from one page to another.

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