Prioritize Backlog
Apply prioritization frameworks to: $ARGUMENTS
Your Task
Systematically prioritize the backlog items above using proven PM frameworks. Produce a ranked list with RICE scores, priority tiers, and actionable recommendations for sprint/quarter planning.
Steps
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Gather Backlog Items
- Parse "$ARGUMENTS" for backlog items to prioritize
- Search Coda for roadmap and backlog documents
- Review Dovetail for user research supporting items
- Identify stakeholder requests
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Score Each Item
- Apply RICE framework (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort)
- Consider strategic alignment
- Factor in dependencies
- Assess urgency vs. importance
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Apply Prioritization Framework
RICE Scoring (Primary):
- Reach: How many users per quarter?
- Impact: Minimal (0.25), Low (0.5), Medium (1), High (2), Massive (3)
- Confidence: High (100%), Medium (80%), Low (50%)
- Effort: Person-months estimate
- Score: (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort
Kano Model (Context):
- Categorize features as Basic/Performance/Delighter
- Ensure all Basics are covered first
- Balance Performance features with some Delighters
Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule):
- Identify the vital 20% of features driving 80% of value
- Focus on optimizing high-impact features
Lifecycle-Aware Prioritization:
- Adjust strategy based on product stage (Introduction/Growth/Maturity/Decline)
- Introduction: Focus on must-haves and validation
- Growth: Balance quick wins with strategic bets
- Maturity: Apply Pareto heavily, optimize vital 20%
Reference: See product-frameworks skill for detailed frameworks:
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Consider Additional Factors
- Strategic initiatives and OKRs
- Technical debt and maintenance
- Competitive pressure
- Regulatory or security requirements
- Quick wins vs. long-term investments
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Generate Prioritized List
- Rank by RICE score
- Group into priority tiers (P0-P3)
- Suggest sprint/quarter assignments
- Identify trade-offs and dependencies
Prioritization Frameworks
RICE Framework (Primary)
Best for comparing diverse features objectively. Provides quantitative scoring for data-driven decisions.
Detailed guidance: prioritization-frameworks.md
Kano Model (Supplementary)
Categorizes features by customer satisfaction impact:
- Basic Features (Must-haves): Absence causes dissatisfaction, presence is expected
- Performance Features (Satisfiers): More is better, linear satisfaction
- Delighters (Exciters): Unexpected features that create wow moments
When to use: Ensure basic features are covered before adding delighters. In mature products, focus on performance features and sprinkle delighters.
Detailed guidance: prioritization-frameworks.md
Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)
Identify the 20% of features that drive 80% of user value.
Application:
- Focus optimization on high-usage features
- Consider deprecating rarely-used features
- In mature products, ruthlessly focus on the vital few
Detailed guidance: prioritization-frameworks.md
Lifecycle-Aware Prioritization
Adjust prioritization based on product stage:
Introduction:
- Must-haves only, keep scope tight
- High confidence items, minimize risk
- Focus on product-market fit validation
Growth:
- Balance quick wins with strategic bets
- Invest in differentiation and scalability
- High reach features matter more
Maturity:
- Pareto principle heavily (optimize vital 20%)
- Retention over acquisition features
- Efficiency and cost reduction
Decline:
- Minimal investment (harvest) or bold bets (reinvention)
- Only critical fixes unless pivoting
Detailed guidance: lifecycle-guidance.md
MoSCoW Method (Supporting)
- Must have: Critical for launch
- Should have: Important but not critical
- Could have: Nice to have
- Won't have: Out of scope
Value vs. Effort Matrix
Plot items on 2x2 matrix:
- High value, low effort → Do first (quick wins)
- High value, high effort → Plan carefully
- Low value, low effort → Do if time permits
- Low value, high effort → Don't do
Output Format
Prioritized Backlog
| Rank | Feature | RICE Score | Priority | Quarter | Rationale |
|---|
| 1 | Feature A | 85 | P0 | Q1 | High user demand, low effort |
| 2 | Feature B | 72 | P0 | Q1 | Strategic initiative |
| 3 | Feature C | 45 | P1 | Q2 | Good impact, higher effort |
Priority Tiers
P0 - Critical (Do Now)
- Features essential for product strategy
- High RICE scores (>70)
- Blocking other initiatives
P1 - High Priority (Do Next)
- Important features with strong justification
- RICE scores 40-70
- Clear user value
P2 - Medium Priority (Do Later)
- Nice-to-have features
- RICE scores 20-40
- Enhancement opportunities
P3 - Low Priority (Consider)
- Nice-to-have with unclear impact
- RICE scores <20
- Defer or decline candidates
Supporting Evidence
For each high-priority item:
- User research insights (Dovetail links)
- Usage data or analytics
- Competitive context
- Strategic alignment
Recommendations
- Suggested sprint planning
- Resource allocation advice
- Risk callouts
- Trade-off decisions
Examples
Example 1: Sprint Planning
User: "We have 25 backlog items. Help me prioritize for next sprint."
[Command analyzes]:
- Scores each item with RICE
- Searches Dovetail for supporting research
- Considers team capacity
- Recommends top 5-7 items for sprint
Example 2: Quarterly Roadmap
User: "Prioritize our backlog for Q2 planning"
[Command generates]:
- Full RICE scoring for all items
- Groups into quarters
- Identifies dependencies
- Suggests quarterly themes
Best Practices
Do:
- Be transparent about scoring methodology
- Ground decisions in user research and data
- Consider opportunity cost
- Review and update priorities regularly
- Communicate trade-offs clearly
- Factor in team velocity and capacity
Don't:
- Prioritize solely by stakeholder requests
- Ignore technical debt
- Overlook quick wins
- Forget to validate assumptions
- Neglect to communicate decisions
Common Pitfalls
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HiPPO (Highest Paid Person's Opinion)
- Solution: Use data-driven frameworks like RICE
-
Feature Bloat
- Solution: Ruthlessly cut low-impact items
-
Ignoring Technical Debt
- Solution: Reserve 20% capacity for maintenance
-
Analysis Paralysis
- Solution: Set time limits for prioritization exercises
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Shifting Priorities
- Solution: Define stable planning horizons (quarters)
Related Commands
Framework References
For detailed guidance on prioritization methods:
Checklist
Before finalizing prioritization: