I Used to Write PRDs in Notion. Then I Clocked How Long It Was Taking.

About eight months ago I started timing how long it took me to go from "I have an idea" to "I'm ready to write code." I expected it to be maybe 10-15 minutes of planning. It was closer to 90. Here's what those 90 minutes looked like: Open Notion, find the PRD template I made six months ago: 5 min Write the problem statement, second-guess it, rewrite: 15 min List features, realize the list has 11 items, argue with myself about which 5 matter: 20 min Add tech stack notes: 10 min Write acceptance criteria, look up what acceptance criteria should actually contain: 15 min Read the doc back, feel like something's missing, add more stuff: 15 min Consider deleting the whole thing and just starting coding: 10 min At the end of 90 minutes I had a three-page document that nobody would ever read again, covering a project I was no longer sure I wanted to build. The cost you don't see The obvious cost is time. But the hidden cost is decision fatigue. By the time I finished my DIY PRD I'd made 40 sma