Start with the customer experience you want to create
Amazon's working backwards method starts every product with a mock press release — the future customer experience you're building toward. Inktrail's AI generates your PR/FAQ from a brief description of your product.
What's included
Mock press release structure
Follows Amazon's format: headline, summary, problem, solution, customer quote, how it works, and call to action.
Internal FAQ section
Includes a "hard questions" FAQ that stress-tests your thinking before a line of code is written.
Customer-centric framing
Forces every decision to be framed from the customer's perspective — not from internal capabilities.
AI-generated from your product idea
Describe your product and its ideal launch outcome — Inktrail writes the complete PR/FAQ document.
How to use this template
- 1
Open the Working Backwards template
Navigate to Templates → Vision and select "Working Backwards PR".
- 2
Write your new product description
Enter your product name, target customer, and the ideal future state you're trying to create.
- 3
Generate the press release
Inktrail writes the mock press release: headline, key benefits, customer quote, and call to action.
- 4
Answer the hard questions
Complete the internal FAQ section by answering the toughest questions about feasibility, competition, and customer pain.
- 5
Use as alignment artefact
Share the PR/FAQ with your team and leadership to align on what you're building and why — before any scoping begins.
Who uses this template
- Product managers defining new product bets
- Startup founders pressure-testing new ideas
- Innovation teams evaluating new initiatives
- Product leaders aligning executives on vision
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Amazon working backwards method?
- The working backwards method is Amazon's practice of writing a mock press release and internal FAQ before any product development begins. It forces teams to define the ideal customer experience first — rather than building features and then figuring out what to launch.
- What is a PR/FAQ?
- A PR/FAQ is a two-part working backwards document. The PR (press release) describes the ideal product launch from a customer's perspective. The FAQ answers the hard internal questions: Why now? Who is the customer? What are the risks?
- When should I use the working backwards template?
- Use it at the start of any new product, major feature, or strategic initiative — before any detailed planning or development work begins.
- Is the working backwards template free?
- Yes — free on Inktrail's free tier.
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