How to Write a BRD in 2025
7/2/2025 · RepoDoc-AI Team
A Business Requirements Document (BRD) is a foundational artifact for any successful product or project. In 2025, the best BRDs are concise, collaborative, and AI-augmented. Here’s how to write one that works for modern teams:
1. Start with the Why
- Executive Summary: Briefly state the business problem and the opportunity.
- Objectives: What are you trying to achieve? List measurable goals.
Example:
- Executive Summary:
The Repodoc-AI project aims to automate the generation of comprehensive documentation from GitHub repositories using AI.
This includes Business Requirements Documents (BRDs), Technical Requirements Documents (TRDs), Test Strategy Documents, and README files.
- Objectives:
Streamline the documentation process, reduce manual effort, and ensure consistency and quality in documentation.
2. Define the Scope
- In Scope: What will be delivered? (Features, integrations, platforms)
- Out of Scope: What’s explicitly excluded?
Example:
- In-scope Features and Functionalities:
- Integration with public GitHub repositories
- Automatic generation of BRDs, TRDs, Test Strategy Documents, and README files
- Support for multiple programming languages
- Export options for PDF and Markdown
- Basic and advanced templates
- Community and priority support options
- Out-of-scope Items:
- Private repository access
- Custom templates
- Advanced team collaboration features
3. Stakeholders & Collaboration
- Who’s Involved: List all key stakeholders (product, engineering, design, QA, business, etc.)
- Collaboration: Use shared docs, async comments, and AI tools for feedback.
4. Requirements
- Functional Requirements: What should the product do? Use clear, testable statements.
- Non-Functional Requirements: Performance, security, compliance, accessibility, etc.
- User Stories/Use Cases: Describe key user journeys.
- Functional Requirements:
- BRD Generation: Automatically generate BRDs from codebase analysis, including user stories, objectives, and success metrics.
- TRD Generation: Generate TRDs with detailed technical architecture, API documentation, and implementation specifications.
- Test Strategy Generation: Create comprehensive test strategies with unit, integration, E2E, and security test scenarios.
- README Generation: Generate professional README files with installation instructions, usage examples, and contribution guidelines.
- Export Options: Provide options to export generated documents as PDF or Markdown.
- Non-functional Requirements:
- Performance: Generate documents within 5 minutes for a typical repository.
- Scalability: Handle repositories with up to 100 files.
- Security: Ensure secure access to GitHub repositories and user data.
- Usability: Provide an intuitive user interface for document generation and management.
- User Stories:
- As a developer, I want to generate a BRD from my GitHub repository so that I can communicate project requirements with non-technical stakeholders effectively.
- As a project manager, I want to generate a TRD so that I can ensure the technical team understands the project's architecture and implementation details.
- As a QA engineer, I want to generate a Test Strategy Document so that I can plan and execute comprehensive testing for the project.
- As a contributor, I want to generate a README file so that I can provide clear instructions for using and contributing to the project.
5. Success Criteria & Metrics
- How will you measure success? Define KPIs, acceptance criteria, and how you’ll validate them.
- Key Performance Indicators:
- Time taken to generate documents
- Accuracy and completeness of generated documents
- User satisfaction and feedback
- Acceptance Criteria:
- Successful generation of BRDs, TRDs, Test Strategy Documents, and README files for a typical repository.
- Positive user feedback and high satisfaction scores.
- Business Value Metrics:
- Reduction in manual documentation effort
- Improved documentation quality and consistency
- Faster time-to-market for projects
- Enhanced collaboration among development teams
6. Timeline & Milestones
- Roadmap: High-level phases and key dates.
- Phase 1 (2 weeks): Initial setup and configuration of the project, including frontend and backend development.
- Phase 2 (4 weeks): Integration with GitHub API and AI services for document generation.
- Phase 3 (2 weeks): User interface development and testing.
- Phase 4 (2 weeks): Deployment and initial user feedback collection.
7. Risks & Assumptions
- Risks: What could go wrong? How will you mitigate?
- Assumptions: What are you assuming to be true?
- Risk Considerations:
- Inaccessible or private GitHub repositories
- Limited AI capabilities for document generation
- User adoption and feedback
- Key Assumptions:
- Public GitHub repositories are accessible
- Users have basic familiarity with GitHub and documentation tools
8. Appendix
- Glossary, diagrams, references, links to related docs.
Tips for 2025:
- Use AI tools to draft, review, and update requirements.
- Keep it living: update as things change.
- Focus on clarity and outcomes, not just features.
- Link to prototypes, user flows, and data sources.
A great BRD is a communication tool. Make it easy for anyone to understand what you’re building and why.
About the Author
Busara Saelim is a seasoned Business Analyst with over a decade of experience helping organizations transform their business processes and documentation workflows. With a strong background spanning insurance, telecommunications, and financial services, she specializes in bridging the gap between technical capabilities and business requirements. Busara is passionate about leveraging AI tools to enhance analytical workflows while maintaining the strategic thinking that drives successful business outcomes.
Connect with Busara on LinkedIn to discuss business analysis trends, AI integration strategies, and digital transformation initiatives.