How do you rank your road map items?

1 Define your criteria

Before you start ranking your road map items, you need to define the criteria that will guide your decision-making. These criteria should reflect your product strategy, your user feedback, your market research, and your business objectives. For example, you might use criteria such as customer satisfaction, revenue potential, competitive advantage, technical complexity, and risk level. You can also assign weights or scores to each criterion to reflect their relative importance.

2 Use a scoring system

One way to rank your road map items is to use a scoring system that quantifies each item's value and cost based on your criteria. For example, you can use the RICE framework, which stands for Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort, to calculate a score for each item by multiplying its reach (how many users it will affect), impact (how much it will improve the user experience), and confidence (how certain you are about your estimates) and dividing by its effort (how much time and resources it will require). The higher the score, the higher the priority.

3 Apply a ranking method

Another way to rank your road map items is to apply a ranking method that helps you compare and order them based on your criteria. For example, you can use the MoSCoW method, which stands for Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have, to classify your items into four categories based on their importance and urgency. Alternatively, you can use the Kano model, which categorizes your items into basic, performance, and delight features based on how they affect customer satisfaction.

4 Validate your ranking

Once you have ranked your road map items, you need to validate your ranking by getting feedback from your stakeholders, such as your users, your team, your executives, and your partners. You can use various methods to collect and analyze feedback, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, usability tests, and analytics. You should also be open to revising your ranking based on new information, changing conditions, or emerging opportunities.

5 Communicate your ranking

Finally, you need to communicate your ranking to your stakeholders in a clear and compelling way. You can use various tools and formats to present your ranking, such as road map software, spreadsheets, slides, or charts. You should also explain the rationale behind your ranking, the assumptions and uncertainties involved, and the expected outcomes and benefits. You should also solicit feedback and address any questions or concerns that may arise.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?