RICE Method

The RICE method helps prioritize features by scoring them based on four factors: Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. Each factor contributes to the RICE score, which determines the priority of a feature.

  1. Reach:

    • How many people will be affected by the feature in a given time period (e.g., per month).
    • Example: If you estimate that 1,000 users will use a new feature each month, the reach is 1,000.
  2. Impact:

    • How much the feature will contribute to the desired outcome. It's often measured on a scale:
      • 3 = massive impact
      • 2 = high impact
      • 1 = medium impact
      • 0.5 = low impact
      • 0.25 = minimal impact
    • Example: If you believe the feature will significantly improve user engagement, you might rate its impact as 2 (high impact).
  3. Confidence:

    • How confident you are in your estimates for reach and impact. This is also measured on a scale:
      • 100% = high confidence
      • 80% = medium confidence
      • 50% = low confidence
    • Example: If you are fairly sure about your estimates, you might rate your confidence as 80%.
  4. Effort:

    • The amount of work required to complete the feature, typically measured in person-months (the work one team member can do in a month).
    • Example: If a feature is estimated to take a team of two developers one month to complete, the effort would be 2 person-months.

The RICE score is calculated using the formula:

RICE Score=Reach×Impact×ConfidenceEffort\text{RICE Score} = \frac{\text{Reach} \times \text{Impact} \times \text{Confidence}}{\text{Effort}}RICE Score=EffortReach×Impact×Confidence

Referenced in:

All notes