v0.5.0 Release Notes

Release Date: 2026-05-26

Overview

VisionSpec v0.5.0 represents a major milestone with the project's rebrand from MultiSpec to VisionSpec under ProductBuildersHQ. This release introduces six methodology profiles (AWS, Google, Stripe, Lean Startup, Design Thinking, JTBD), implements Amazon's Working Backwards synthesis flow, and adds comprehensive framework documentation with D2 flow diagrams.

Highlights

• Project renamed to VisionSpec under ProductBuildersHQ
• Six methodology profiles: AWS, Google, Stripe, Lean Startup, Design Thinking, JTBD
• Working Backwards synthesis flow with vision-first development
• Comprehensive framework documentation with D2 flow diagrams

Breaking Changes

This release includes breaking changes for the project rename:

Change	Old	New
Module path	github.com/plexusone/multispec	github.com/ProductBuildersHQ/visionspec
CLI binary	multispec	visionspec
Config file	multispec.yaml	visionspec.yaml
MCP server	multispec-mcp	visionspec-mcp
Docs site	—	productbuildershq.com/visionspec

Note: multispec.yaml is still supported for backward compatibility.

Methodology Profiles

VisionSpec now includes six methodology profiles in addition to the four stage-based profiles:

Stage-Based Profiles

Profile	Focus
0-1	Pre-product-market-fit exploration
startup	Early product development
growth	Scaling product and team
enterprise	Mature organization with compliance

Methodology Profiles

Profile	Methodology	Best For
aws	Working Backwards	Customer-centric products
google	Design Docs + RFC	Engineering-heavy orgs
stripe	API-First	Platform/API products
lean-startup	Build-Measure-Learn	Early validation
design-thinking	Stanford d.school	Human-centered design
jtbd	Jobs to be Done	Customer motivations

Using Methodology Profiles

# Initialize with AWS Working Backwards
visionspec init my-product --profile aws

# Initialize with Stripe API-first
visionspec init my-api --profile stripe

# List all available profiles
visionspec profiles list

# Show profile details
visionspec profiles show google

Profile Details

AWS Working Backwards:

• Templates: Press Release, FAQ, 6-Pager Narrative
• Rubrics: Working backwards fidelity, decision reversibility, customer clarity
• Leadership Principles integrated into evaluation

Google Design Docs + RFC:

• Templates: OKR Document, RFC, Design Doc, Experiment Plan
• Rubrics: Alternatives analysis, explicit tradeoffs, peer review readiness
• Data-driven with statistical rigor

Stripe API-First:

• Templates: Platform Strategy, API PRD, API Specification, DX Spec
• Rubrics: Contract clarity, consistency, error documentation
• Docs-as-product philosophy

Lean Startup:

• Templates: Hypothesis Document, MVP PRD
• Rubrics: Testability, minimalism, learning orientation
• Build-Measure-Learn focus

Design Thinking:

• Templates: Empathy Map, Journey Map, Prototype Spec
• Rubrics: Empathy depth, human-centeredness, iteration mindset
• Stanford d.school 5-stage process

Jobs to be Done:

• Templates: Job Statement, Outcome-Driven Requirements, Job Map
• Rubrics: Job clarity, hiring criteria, outcome coverage
• Clayton Christensen's framework

Working Backwards Synthesis Flow

The synthesis flow now follows Amazon's Working Backwards methodology:

MRD (human-authored)
    ↓
Press Release (synthesized from MRD)
    ↓
FAQ (synthesized from MRD + Press)
    ↓
PRD (synthesized from MRD + Press + FAQ)
    ↓
UXD (human-authored)
    ↓
TRD (synthesized from MRD + PRD + UXD)
    ↓
IRD (synthesized from TRD)

Synthesis Commands

# Generate Press Release from MRD
visionspec synthesize press -p myproject

# Generate FAQ from MRD + Press
visionspec synthesize faq -p myproject

# Generate PRD from Working Backwards artifacts
visionspec synthesize prd -p myproject

# Generate TRD
visionspec synthesize trd -p myproject

Key Changes

Spec	Old Dependencies	New Dependencies
Press	MRD + PRD	MRD only
FAQ	Press only	MRD + Press
PRD	Human-authored	Synthesizable from MRD + Press + FAQ

Framework Documentation

Comprehensive documentation for all six methodologies is now available:

• Frameworks Overview - Comparison matrix, selection guide
• AWS Working Backwards - PR/FAQ, 6-pager, Leadership Principles
• Google Design Docs - Design Docs, RFCs, OKRs
• Stripe API-First - API specs, developer experience
• Lean Startup - Build-Measure-Learn, MVP
• Design Thinking - d.school 5 stages
• Jobs to be Done - Job statements, outcomes

Each page includes:

• Flow diagram (D2 with ELK layout)
• Key principles
• VisionSpec document mapping
• Rubric categories with weights
• Example CLI workflows
• Reference materials

Documentation Improvements

CLI Documentation

Complete documentation for all CLI commands:

• approve - Spec approval workflow
• context - Codebase context gathering
• create - Spec scaffolding from templates
• docs - MkDocs documentation generation
• eval - LLM-based spec evaluation
• export - Target system export
• reconcile - Unified spec generation
• serve - MCP server for AI integration
• synthesize - GTM/technical spec generation
• targets - Export target listing

Configuration Guide

New comprehensive configuration reference covering:

• LLM provider configuration
• Spec requirements (spec_config)
• Custom rubrics configuration
• Context sources
• Export target settings
• Environment variables

AI Integration

New CLAUDE.md file provides:

• MCP tools reference with usage guidance
• CLI commands for non-MCP usage
• Authoring workflow references
• Common task examples
• Evaluation criteria

ProductBuildersHQ Theme

MkDocs documentation now uses ProductBuildersHQ branding:

• Light mode default
• CDN-hosted theme assets
• Unified navigation across ProductBuildersHQ sites

Installation

go install github.com/ProductBuildersHQ/visionspec/cmd/visionspec@v0.5.0

Migration Guide

From MultiSpec to VisionSpec

1. Update imports (if using as library):

   // Old
   import "github.com/plexusone/multispec/pkg/cli"
   
   // New
   import "github.com/ProductBuildersHQ/visionspec/pkg/cli"
   

2. Update CLI binary (optional - multispec still works via symlink):

   # Reinstall
   go install github.com/ProductBuildersHQ/visionspec/cmd/visionspec@latest
   

3. Config file (optional):

4. multispec.yaml continues to work
5. Rename to visionspec.yaml when convenient

Using Methodology Profiles

To adopt a methodology profile for an existing project:

# Export methodology profile
visionspec profiles export aws ./my-aws-profile

# Copy relevant templates/rubrics to your project
cp -r ./my-aws-profile/templates/* ./my-project/templates/
cp -r ./my-aws-profile/rubrics/* ./my-project/rubrics/

# Update visionspec.yaml to use custom templates

Or initialize a new project with a profile:

visionspec init new-project --profile aws

What's Next

See ROADMAP.md for planned features including:

• AI Co-Authoring workflow enhancements
• Cross-project analysis
• CI/CD integration (GitHub Actions, pre-commit hooks)
• OpenSpec target adapter