Development
The documents engineers either write properly or pay for later. Design docs developers actually follow. Requirements specs that don't dissolve under the first edge case. API designs and deployment plans written before the launch, not in the postmortem.
AI prompt guides
- Design Document — a blueprint developers will follow without rewriting it.
- Database Design — the data model your future self won't curse.
- REST/Web API — design the API before you start typing route handlers.
- Concept of Operations — describe how the system actually behaves end-to-end.
- Functional Requirements — what the system must do, written tightly enough to test.
- Deployment Plan — launch software without the war room.
- Installation Plan — get systems running on customer hardware without surprises.
- Interface Control Document — the contract between two systems that have to talk to each other.
- Error Message Guide — turn cryptic stack traces into something a user can act on.