Ideas can come from anyone. Whether it's a PM or someone from the marketing team, there needs to be a clear format to discuss the merits of an opportunity or problem that we want to solve. This document serves as a quick, straightforward 1-pager format to do that.

This format is easily shareable and defensible across all audiences. Amazing how easily it can be read. It works especially well when prioritizing ideas across both the Product and Executive teams.

At this time, I was VP of Product and heading up the new vertical (Multifamily SaaS) at Brilliant. This was one of our first products in this vertical.


This document is used to determine which use cases/PRDs to focus on and get alignment with the exec team before going forward. Success at this stage means that exec is aligned on prioritizing it, including it in the roadmap, and evolving it into a PRD.


The point of this document is NOT to have the perfect solution. Defining the problem, what is in/out of scope, risks, and follow-ups are more important.


This brief ended up making a good case for prioritizing this project. After this was reviewed, we evolved it into a PRD within the quarter. Then we followed the product development process (TAD > Dev > GTM) within the next 4 months


Gaurav Hardikar

This product brief aligned the executive, product, and engineering teams on prioritizing a new multifamily SaaS product.

Multifamily Operators typically begin their foray into the IoT space through Managed Wi-Fi and Access Control - both base infrastructure offerings within the user journey for which they are able to demand additional rent.

Current-gen Access Control encapsulates the permission layer on top of the installed lock infrastructure, that allows property staff, residents, guests, and pro installers to enter through a variety of credential options (ex. pin, mobile, key, etc..).

: 72% millennials live in an apartment building, 75% plan to stay for six months or longer. 74% don’t feel secure in their home, and >50% want alternative entry methods (pin, smart phone, key fob or card)

2021 HID International Access Control Whitepaper

: Top drivers for upgrading physical access control is through pandemic response/touchless solutions, taking advantage of features in new technologies, and making access administration easier with digital processes. #4 is increasing user convenience (matching the resident need).

Residents are not able to use a single app or account to experience their building and smart unit (includes common areas), which causes a confusing user experience and onboarding process, even after spending so much on a premium experience.

Operators are not able to automate access to be granted to upcoming residents and removal from past residents without manual intervention, which drastically reduces the productivity of property staff tasked with maintaining the status quo.

Property Management staff need to periodically gain access to resident units for maintenance-related tasks, but do not have an easy way to communicate to residents and issue credentials to related staff in order to complete these tasks.

 Does Brilliant build a competitive advantage?

This is a clear requirement for multifamily deployments. Without adding this within our offering, our solution is not applicable for the majority of prospects (thereby reducing our addressable market considerably).

There is not a competitive advantage by solving the initial phase of this problem, but there is opportunity to innovate here in both product and operational solutions by partnering with our clients.

List all use cases you want to solve for NOW:

Allow the resident to gain access to common areas, units, and building doors during the resident move-in process, and appropriately revoke access upon move-out.

Allow the resident to use a multiple credential system to be able to interface directly with the lock or through the Mobile Phone and Brilliant Control. This is not an exhaustive list but some examples: Fob, Mobile Credential, PIN code, text.

Access-related actions must be logged appropriately through the Access Control partner system such that audit logs can be pulled easily from the Partner System with uniquely identifying information for the user and device that it came from. Ex: Unit 101 door was unlocked on X date time by Y device with Z device id through the Brilliant partner integration.


List all use cases that you are explicitly NOT targeting NOW:

Note: Property Staff Access is not being included in the required use cases as it is likely physical security credentials (fobs, key cards) may be possible to be leveraged in the beginning to solve this problem.

Guest/Temporary Access as a feature through the Mobile App.

Initial Provisioning and Setup of physical locks into the partner access control system.

Common Area Scheduling (like pool and gym access)

Audit and Access Reporting being pulled within the Brilliant Command Center

Multifamily customers will determine the actual partner and associated hardware locks that will be most critical, in order, to support through an integration. Timing will also be dependent on this.

Need a user research process to confirm or deny assumptions in key use cases (this is through prospect evaluation).

Product 1-Pager Brief at Brilliant Smart Home

1-Page Product Brief: Access Control

Assumptions

Market Research and Stats

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