RICE Framework
Score features by Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort to make data-driven roadmap decisions.
Reach
How many users will this affect in a given time period? Estimate realistically — use event counts, not wishful thinking.
Impact
How much will this move the needle for each user? 3 = massive, 2 = high, 1 = medium, 0.5 = low, 0.25 = minimal.
Confidence
How sure are you about your reach and impact estimates? 100% = high, 80% = medium, 50% = low. Gut feelings are sub-50%.
Effort
Total person-months required — design, engineering, QA, rollout. Use whole numbers. One sprint ≈ 0.5 person-months.
The Formula
Higher scores win. Sort your backlog descending and cut everything below your capacity line. Re-score quarterly — confidence shifts as you learn.
Pro tip: RICE works best when a single person scores every initiative to eliminate calibration drift. Combine with ICE for rapid triage and RICE for commit-level decisions.