Prioritization Frameworks
Saying No Is the Job
You'll always have more ideas than capacity. Prioritization isn't about picking what to do — it's about confidently choosing what not to do.
RICE Framework
The most practical framework for engineers. Score each initiative:
| Factor | Description | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | How many users will this impact in a given period? | Number |
| Impact | How much will it move the target metric? | 0.25 / 0.5 / 1 / 2 / 3 |
| Confidence | How sure are we about reach + impact? | 50% / 80% / 100% |
| Effort | How many person-weeks will this take? | Number |
RICE Score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort
Example:
- New onboarding flow: (5000 × 2 × 80%) / 4 = 2,000
- Dark mode: (8000 × 0.5 × 100%) / 2 = 2,000
- API v2: (200 × 3 × 50%) / 12 = 25
Same score for onboarding and dark mode? Time for a tiebreaker — strategic alignment.
MoSCoW Method
Simpler. Group everything into four buckets:
- Must have — the product doesn't work without it
- Should have — important but not critical for launch
- Could have — nice to have if there's time
- Won't have — explicitly out of scope (for now)
The power of MoSCoW is the "Won't have" list. It aligns the team on what you're deliberately not doing.
Kano Model
Categorizes features by how they affect user satisfaction:
- Basic (must-be) — users expect it. Having it doesn't delight; lacking it causes anger. Example: login works.
- Performance — more is better. Linear satisfaction. Example: page load speed.
- Excitement (delighters) — unexpected features that create joy. Example: confetti on completion.
The insight: invest in basic features first, performance features second, and sprinkle in excitement features for differentiation.
When to Use Which
| Situation | Framework |
|---|---|
| Comparing specific features with data | RICE |
| Scoping a release or MVP | MoSCoW |
| Understanding user satisfaction | Kano |
| Quick team alignment | MoSCoW |
| Stakeholder debates | RICE (numbers end arguments) |
The Engineer's Edge
You can estimate the E in RICE better than anyone. Use it. When a PM says "this is a small feature," you know whether it's actually 2 days or 2 months. That's a superpower in prioritization.
Exercise: Prioritize Your Backlog
Take 5 features from any product's backlog (yours or an app you use). Score them with RICE. Did the ranking surprise you?
Key Insight: A framework doesn't make the decision for you — it makes the decision visible so you can have a real conversation about trade-offs.