Feature Prioritization
Frameworks for prioritizing features and opportunities.
RICE Scoring
RICE Score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort
| Factor | Definition | Scale | |--------|------------|-------| | Reach | Users affected per quarter | Actual number | | Impact | Effect on users | 3=Massive, 2=High, 1=Medium, 0.5=Low, 0.25=Minimal | | Confidence | How sure are you? | 100%=High, 80%=Medium, 50%=Low | | Effort | Person-months to ship | Actual estimate |
RICE Table:
| Feature | Reach | Impact | Confidence | Effort | RICE Score |
|---------|-------|--------|------------|--------|------------|
| [Feature A] | 5000 | 2 | 80% | 2 | 4000 |
| [Feature B] | 1000 | 3 | 50% | 1 | 1500 |
ICE Scoring (Simpler)
ICE Score = Impact × Confidence × Ease
| Factor | Scale | |--------|-------| | Impact | 1-10 (potential value) | | Confidence | 1-10 (certainty of impact) | | Ease | 1-10 (implementation simplicity) |
ICE Table:
| Feature | Impact | Confidence | Ease | ICE Score |
|---------|--------|------------|------|-----------|
| [Feature A] | 8 | 7 | 5 | 280 |
| [Feature B] | 6 | 9 | 8 | 432 |
Opportunity Solution Tree
Structure:
Outcome (measurable business goal)
├── Opportunity 1 (unmet customer need)
│ ├── Solution 1a
│ │ └── Experiment: [test]
│ └── Solution 1b
│ └── Experiment: [test]
├── Opportunity 2 (another need)
│ └── Solution 2a
│ └── Experiment: [test]
└── Opportunity 3
└── ...
OST Template:
## Outcome
**Goal:** [Measurable objective]
**Current:** [Baseline metric]
**Target:** [Target metric]
**Timeline:** [By when]
## Opportunity Map
### Opportunity 1: [Customer need/pain point]
**Evidence:** [Interview quotes, data]
**Size:** [How many users affected]
**Solutions considered:**
1. **[Solution A]**
- Effort: [S/M/L]
- Experiment: [How to test cheaply]
- Success metric: [What to measure]
2. **[Solution B]**
- Effort: [S/M/L]
- Experiment: [How to test cheaply]
- Success metric: [What to measure]
**Selected:** [Which and why]
When to Use Each
| Framework | Best For | Limitations | |-----------|----------|-------------| | RICE | Large teams, many features | Requires reach data | | ICE | Quick decisions, small teams | More subjective | | OST | Strategy alignment | Requires outcome clarity |
Prioritization Anti-Patterns
- HiPPO (Highest Paid Person's Opinion) → Use data
- Squeaky wheel (loudest customer wins) → Weight by segment size
- Pet projects (internal favorites) → Require evidence
- Sunk cost (we started, must finish) → Re-evaluate regularly