You're here when: You have ten things on the backlog and need to pick the one that matters most right now.
The Heuristic
Use RICE scoring to force objectivity into a subjective process. Score every candidate on four dimensions and let the math surface what your gut might miss.
- Reach — how many users will this affect in a given time period? Use a concrete number, not "a lot."
- Impact — how much will it move the needle per user? Use a scale: 3 = massive, 2 = high, 1 = medium, 0.5 = low, 0.25 = minimal.
- Confidence — how sure are you about reach and impact estimates? 100% = high confidence (data-backed), 80% = moderate, 50% = low (gut feeling).
- Effort — how many person-months will this take? Higher effort = lower score.
RICE Formula
RICE Score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort
| Factor | What to estimate | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Users affected per quarter | Concrete number |
| Impact | Effect per user | 0.25 / 0.5 / 1 / 2 / 3 |
| Confidence | Certainty of estimates | 50% / 80% / 100% |
| Effort | Person-months | 0.5 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 5+ |
For lighter-weight weekly decisions, use ICE instead: Impact (1-10) × Confidence (1-10) × Ease (1-10). Same idea, faster math, less precision. RICE for quarterly planning, ICE for sprint prioritization.
The exact scores don't determine the winner. The math is there to surface the few obvious top choices and eliminate the obvious bad ones. In the top three or four candidates, the numbers will be close and noisy, don't pick the one scoring 847 over the one scoring 812. This is where you apply delayed intuition: use the framework to narrow the field, then have a real conversation with your team about which of those top candidates to pursue. The scoring surfaces what deserves attention. Your judgment picks the final answer.
Quick Example
Intercom created the RICE framework because their backlog debates were driven by whoever argued loudest. After implementing RICE, a database migration scored higher than a flashy new feature because it affected every user (high reach), eliminated daily complaints (high impact), and had strong data backing (high confidence). Without the scoring, the team would have built the visible feature and ignored the infrastructure work.
The Anti-Pattern
The HiPPO. Highest-Paid Person's Opinion. The CEO says "build this" and it jumps the queue regardless of reach, impact, or effort. RICE doesn't eliminate HiPPO decisions, but it makes the tradeoff visible. When the boss overrides the score, everyone can see what got deprioritized and why.
Written with ❤️ by a human (still)