Product Charter: Purpose, Writing Tips, and Examples

Upsilon
2 min readSep 12, 2024

--

A good plan can really ease product development, assist with resource allocation, and keep the team on track. What’s a product charter, and when should you make one? On this page, we’ll go over all the essentials, including how to write a charter for a project, providing tips and examples.

A well-crafted plan can be the difference between a smooth product development process and a chaotic one. While a general plan might offer some direction, a product charter provides a more detailed map, guiding you through each twist and turn.

Creating a step-by-step charter can significantly simplify product development, streamline resource allocation, and ensure your team stays on course. Among the various tools at your disposal, the product charter stands out as a critical asset. But what exactly is a product charter, and how do you go about creating one?

What Does a Product Charter Imply? 🤔

A product charter serves as a comprehensive roadmap for your product’s development, typically created during the discovery phase. It outlines the product’s goals, scope, key stakeholders, and crucial metrics. Think of it as the team’s go-to reference, setting clear direction and boundaries for the project. Defining the objectives and individual roles ensures that everyone stays aligned with the core vision and maintains focus throughout the development process.

How Can a Product Charter Benefit Your Business?

Without a clear product charter, development projects can easily spiral out of control. Let’s go over the prime reasons why having one is essential:

🟨 Clarifies the Product Vision
It offers a clear and concise vision of what your product is meant to accomplish and defines the product’s purpose, its goals, and the audience it targets.

🟨 Prevents Scope Creep
It defines exactly what your MVP will and won’t include, helping to prevent unnecessary features from slipping in and delaying the launch.

🟨 Improves Team Alignment and Communication
By setting clear expectations and priorities, the entire team understands the key goals and their responsibilities, thus reducing miscommunication aboard.

🟨 Creates a Roadmap for Success
It provides a big-picture view of the entire product development process, mapping out critical milestones, deadlines, and deliverables.

And there’s even more in store!

Keep reading to find a product charter template to fall back on and add the right elements to create a truly solid outline of your product ⇢

https://www.upsilonit.com/blog/product-charter-purpose-writing-tips-and-examples

--

--

Upsilon

Digital product studio. We help early-stage startups (<$100K) and scaleups ($1M+) grow faster by creating products that drive results.