Press Release (Amazon Working Backwards)
Write a customer-perspective press release before building — Amazon's Working Backwards forcing function for clarity. If you can't write a compelling PR, the idea may be weak.
Amazon's product reviews don't start with code — they start with a press release written before anyone builds anything. If the PR isn't compelling, the idea isn't. "Revolutionary new platform with AI" doesn't pass. "Cuts invoice processing from 8 hours to 10 minutes for SMB owners" does. The exercise is the value.
Who it's for: PMs aligning stakeholders before build, founders pitching new products, product leads testing if a concept resonates, exec teams making go/no-go calls
Example
"Write a Working Backwards press release for our invoice automation product" → Headline: "Acme Launches SmartInvoice to Cut Processing Time by 60%" + Problem: "SMBs spend 8 hours/month on manual entry" + Solution: "Automated extraction and approvals" + Beta data: "Saved 5 hours/month average"
CLAUDE.md Template
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
npx ccplaybooks add press-release# Press Release (Amazon Working Backwards)
Write an Amazon-style press release that defines customer value before building. A planning tool that asks: *"If we shipped this perfectly, how would we explain it to the world?"*
Not a launch-day marketing artifact — a forcing function for clarity and customer-centricity.
## The Working Backwards Framework
Popularized by Amazon. Press release + FAQ written before code. Press release must:
- Be customer-perspective
- Focus on problem solved, not features built
- Be 1-1.5 pagesGet new playbooks like this one
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What This Does
Walks through Amazon's Working Backwards press release format — headline, problem, solution, leader quote, supporting details, boilerplate, CTA — with quality checks at each step (specific? benefit-focused? validated? jargon-free?).
Pairs with problem-statement, positioning-statement, proto-persona, and jobs-to-be-done.
Quick Start
mkdir -p ~/Documents/PressRelease
mv ~/Downloads/CLAUDE.md ~/Documents/PressRelease/
cd ~/Documents/PressRelease
claude
Provide product description, target persona, problem statement, key benefits, and competitive context. Claude drafts a full PR and stress-tests against the "so what?" test.
The Format
| Section | Length | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | 1 line | Clear, benefit-focused |
| Dateline + Intro | 2-3 sentences | What/who/key benefit |
| Problem | 1 paragraph | Specific, validated |
| Solution | 1 paragraph + quote | Outcome-first, customer empathy |
| Supporting details | 1 paragraph | Data, additional benefits |
| Boilerplate | 2-3 sentences | Company background |
| CTA + Media | 2 lines | How to learn more |
Tips & Best Practices
- Outcomes, not features. "Reduces processing 60%" beats "uses OCR."
- Specific problems. "8 hours/month manual entry" beats "inefficiency."
- Validate with data. Beta results, customer quotes, research — not aspirations.
- Customer-empathy quotes. "Owners shouldn't spend weekends on invoices" beats "we're excited to innovate."
- Pass the "so what?" test. If a target customer says "so what?", you haven't articulated value.
Common Pitfalls
- Feature list disguised as benefits ("includes AI, ML, OCR")
- Vague problem statement ("solves inefficiency")
- Jargon-heavy language ("leverages ML to optimize enterprise workflows")
- Generic exec quote ("we're excited to bring innovation")
- No data or validation backing claims