Script Forge editorial team
Name the decision before listing features
Start with the decision that is blocked: whether a workflow is worth digitising, whether a new audience can complete a key task, or whether an operational model is viable. Then write down what evidence would change that decision. Features matter only when they help gather that evidence or enable the smallest dependable service.
Trace one critical journey end to end
Choose the user journey that creates the clearest value and describe its beginning, hand-offs, exceptions and finish. Include the people who operate the service, not only the person clicking the screen. This reveals essential data, permissions, notifications and support work that a screen-by-screen backlog can hide.
Set boundaries that protect the first release
Record what is deliberately outside the MVP, which assumptions need testing, and which quality requirements cannot be postponed. Privacy, access control, recovery from errors and an owner for the live service are often fundamentals rather than later enhancements. A short boundary document keeps new ideas from silently changing the commitment.
Turn the next decision into a practical brief
If you can describe the user, the blocked decision and the current constraints, a short brief is enough to begin shaping a responsible first scope.