Write a Full BRD for a Real or Hypothetical Project
Part of the Business Analyst Roadmap
In short
This is your first real portfolio piece. A complete BRD shows an interviewer you can take a messy problem, talk to people and turn it into something a team could act on.
The practice project for this phase — take a real or hypothetical business problem through the full arc from elicitation to a complete, stakeholder-ready BRD.
Think of it like this
Planning the college fest on paper
Before booking a single band, the fest committee writes why the fest exists, the budget, who's coming, what's included and what isn't. That plan stops fights later. Your BRD project is that plan for a real or imagined business problem.
Watch it happen
Your BRD build plan
1/5Pick a problem you can access, like canteen queues, a family shop's billing or a club's event sign-ups.
The big ideas
What you need to know
Measurable objectives
Two or three goals with numbers and dates. This is the part interviewers look at first.
Clear in and out of scope
List both. It shows you understand trade-offs, not just wish lists.
Numbered business requirements
Eight to fifteen requirements with IDs, each tied to an objective and a MoSCoW priority.
Assumptions, risks, sign-off
Add what you're assuming, what could go wrong, and a sign-off table with names and dates.
See it in code
Walk through the code
1Project: Canteen pre-order for ABC College2Problem: Students wait 20+ minutes at lunch and many skip meals.3Objective 1: Cut average lunch wait to under 5 minutes by March.4Objective 2: Half of lunch orders placed in advance within 2 months.5In scope: Pre-order, UPI payment, pickup token.6Out of scope: Home delivery, loyalty points, dinner orders.7Assumption: Canteen staff share one tablet at the counter.8Success check: Weekly wait-time sample plus order logs.1/4A specific problem in business terms, ideally with a number you got from real interviews.
The trickiest part of a BRD is the first page. Get the problem, objectives and scope this sharp and the rest follows.
Save yourself the pain
Common mistakes
Oops
Inventing every detail without talking to anyone.
Do this instead
Even for a hypothetical project, interview two or three real people. Real quotes make the BRD believable.
Oops
Making it 30 pages long to look impressive.
Do this instead
Aim for 6 to 12 clear pages. Reviewers value sharp thinking over volume.
Oops
Describing screens and database tables.
Do this instead
Keep it at business level. If you want to show detail, add a separate short FRD or user stories.
Your mission
First milestone: page one
Quick check
Which objective is best for your BRD?
Go deeper
- 1Choose a project idea you have genuine insight into, real or realistic.
- 2Include: business objectives, scope, stakeholders, high-level requirements, and success criteria.
- 3Get feedback from someone unfamiliar with the project and revise based on their questions.
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