Feature Prioritization Framework

Framework: RICE scoring (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort)
Use for: Comparing and ranking feature candidates to inform roadmap decisions
Time required: 60–90 minutes

How to use this template

Gather your feature candidates before scoring — don't score as you brainstorm, or recency bias will skew the list.
Score each candidate using the RICE guide below. Assign scores independently before discussing as a group.
Use RICE score as a starting point, not a final answer — strategic fit can override pure math.
Fill in the "What we're NOT building" section last, and share it with stakeholders — it prevents re-litigation.
Revisit this ranking whenever strategy, resources, or market conditions change. Stale rankings are worse than no rankings.

Header

Field	Details
Product / Team	[Product name or team]
Date	[Date]
Decision Needed By	[Date when roadmap must be finalized]
Facilitator	[Name]

RICE Scoring Guide

RICE Score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort

Factor	What It Measures	How to Score
Reach	How many users will this affect per quarter?	Estimate number of users impacted (e.g., 500, 2000, 10000)
Impact	How much will this improve outcomes per user?	3 = massive, 2 = significant, 1 = moderate, 0.5 = low, 0.25 = minimal
Confidence	How confident are you in your Reach and Impact estimates?	100% = high evidence, 80% = some evidence, 50% = gut feel
Effort	How many person-weeks will this take end-to-end?	Estimate total person-weeks across all functions

Higher RICE score = higher expected ROI per unit of effort. A score of 1000 means the feature reaches 1000 users at significant impact with high confidence for one week of work.

Feature Candidates

Feature	Description	Reach	Impact	Confidence	Effort (person-wks)	RICE Score	Strategic Fit (H/M/L)
[Feature name]	[One-sentence description]	[#]	[0.25–3]	[50/80/100%]	[#]	[Calculate]	[H / M / L]
[Feature name]	[One-sentence description]	[#]	[0.25–3]	[50/80/100%]	[#]	[Calculate]	[H / M / L]
[Feature name]	[One-sentence description]	[#]	[0.25–3]	[50/80/100%]	[#]	[Calculate]	[H / M / L]
[Feature name]	[One-sentence description]	[#]	[0.25–3]	[50/80/100%]	[#]	[Calculate]	[H / M / L]
[Feature name]	[One-sentence description]	[#]	[0.25–3]	[50/80/100%]	[#]	[Calculate]	[H / M / L]
[Feature name]	[One-sentence description]	[#]	[0.25–3]	[50/80/100%]	[#]	[Calculate]	[H / M / L]
[Feature name]	[One-sentence description]	[#]	[0.25–3]	[50/80/100%]	[#]	[Calculate]	[H / M / L]
[Feature name]	[One-sentence description]	[#]	[0.25–3]	[50/80/100%]	[#]	[Calculate]	[H / M / L]

RICE Score formula: (Reach × Impact × Confidence%) / Effort

Constraints and Considerations

Document before ranking. These are the guardrails that shape which items can even be considered.

We cannot prioritize items that [describe hard constraints — e.g., require infrastructure we don't have, conflict with regulatory requirements, depend on a team that's unavailable].

We must consider [any non-negotiable factors — e.g., contractual commitments, security requirements, competitive response timelines].

Our capacity constraint this quarter is [X person-weeks / headcount]. Items totaling more than [Y person-weeks] cannot all fit.

Dependencies Map

Feature	Depends On	Team Responsible	Estimated Availability
[Feature]	[What it needs to exist first]	[Team]	[Date or quarter]
[Feature]	[What it needs to exist first]	[Team]	[Date or quarter]
[Feature]	[What it needs to exist first]	[Team]	[Date or quarter]

Final Ranking

Sorted by priority after applying RICE score + strategic fit + constraints.

Rank	Feature	RICE Score	Decision	Owner	Target Quarter
1	[Feature]	[Score]	Build	[Name]	[Q# Year]
2	[Feature]	[Score]	Build	[Name]	[Q# Year]
3	[Feature]	[Score]	Build	[Name]	[Q# Year]
4	[Feature]	[Score]	Hold	[Name]	[Revisit date]
5	[Feature]	[Score]	Hold	[Name]	[Revisit date]
6	[Feature]	[Score]	Kill	[Name]	—
7	[Feature]	[Score]	Kill	[Name]	—

Decision key: Build = committed this planning period | Hold = good idea, not now | Kill = not worth pursuing, removing from backlog

What We Are NOT Building (and Why)

This section is as important as the prioritized list. Share it with stakeholders to prevent re-litigation.

Feature / Idea	Reason Not Prioritized	Who to Tell
[Feature name]	[Honest reason — low RICE, dependency not ready, doesn't fit strategy]	[Stakeholder or team]
[Feature name]	[Reason]	[Stakeholder]
[Feature name]	[Reason]	[Stakeholder]

Prioritization is not a one-time activity — revisit whenever strategy, resources, or market conditions change. RICE is covered in depth at biztechprimer.com.

Browse all templates →Download the Markdown