Prioritise
RICE scoring
Also called RICE framework, RICE prioritisation
Score each idea on reach, impact, confidence and effort, then rank by one number that rewards likely wins for little work.
- Time45 to 90 minutes
- People2 to 8 people
- Steps5
What it's for
RICE turns a debate about favourite ideas into four smaller questions: how many people will this reach in a set period, how much will it move each of them, how sure are we, and how much work is it? Multiply the first three, divide by the last, and sort.
The number matters less than the conversation behind it. Writing down a confidence of 50% for someone's pet idea is often the most useful moment in the session.
How to run it
List the ideas5 min
One idea per note in the Ideas column, each roughly the same kind of thing: features, not a mix of features and whole products.
Estimate reach10 min
How many people or events each idea touches in a set period, such as a quarter. Use real numbers where you have them.
Rate impact and confidence10 min
Impact on each person: 3 massive, 2 high, 1 medium, 0.5 low, 0.25 minimal. Confidence: 100% with data, 80% with some evidence, 50% for a hunch.
Estimate effort10 min
The total work in person-months, across design, engineering and everyone else involved.
Score and sort10 min
Reach × impact × confidence ÷ effort. Put the ideas in order, then talk about any result that feels wrong.
Tips
- Score one column at a time across every idea, not one idea at a time. It keeps the estimates consistent with each other.
- A result that surprises the room is a reason to check the inputs, not to overrule the score quietly.
- Anything below 50% confidence is a candidate for a quick test before it's built.
Where it comes from
Developed by Sean McBride and the product team at Intercom, and published on Intercom's blog as a simple way for product managers to compare ideas.
Pairs well with
ICE scoring
Rank experiments fast: score each idea's impact, confidence and ease from 1 to 10, combine them, and test the top ones first.
Impact and effort matrix
Place each option by how much difference it would make and how hard it would be, to find the quick wins and the big bets.
Opportunity scoring
Rate each customer outcome for importance and satisfaction, then look for the ones that matter a lot and are served badly.