How to Prioritize Features: A Simple Guide for Product Managers

How to Prioritize Features: A Simple Guide for Product Managers

Prioritizing features is a key part of product management. It’s about deciding what to build next to maximize value while meeting business goals. Here’s a simple guide to help you stay organized and focused.

Why Prioritizing Features Matters

Without prioritization, you risk:

Why Prioritizing Features Matters

• Wasting time on low-impact features.

• Frustrating users and stakeholders.

• Losing focus on what really matters.

Prioritization helps you build the right features that align with your goals.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Before ranking features, ask: What are we trying to achieve?

Common goals:

• Solve customer problems (e.g., fix pain points).

• Increase revenue (e.g., paid features).

• Improve scalability (e.g., fix bugs or optimize infrastructure).

• Expand to new markets (e.g., add localization).

Define Your Goals

Clear goals make it easier to decide what’s important.

Step 2: Collect Insights

Gather input from:

• Customers: Use surveys, interviews, or feedback.

• Data: Look at analytics to understand user behavior.

• Stakeholders: Sales, support, and executives often know key needs.

• Competitors: Keep track of trends and industry changes.

Collect Insights

💡 Tip: Don’t try to please everyone. Your role is to focus on the big picture.

Step 3: Use a Framework

Frameworks simplify prioritization. Here are some easy ones:

1. RICE Scoring

RICE Scoring

• Prioritize features with high scores.

• Value vs. Effort Matrix

• Focus on features with High Value and Low Effort.

• MoSCoW Method

• Categorize features as:

  • Must-Have: Critical.

  • Should-Have: Important but not urgent.

  • Could-Have: Nice-to-have.

  • Won’t-Have: Not needed now.

  

  Categorize features

Step 4: Consider Real-World Limits

Check for:

• Technical Feasibility: Can it be built?

• Resources: Do you have the time, team, and budget?

• Dependencies: Does something else need to be done first?

• Compliance: Are there legal requirements?

• 

  Breaking Down Feature Prioritization

Step 5: Share Your Plan

Communicate clearly:

• What’s prioritized (and why).

• What’s not included (and why).

• 

  Clear Communication of Features

Use tools like roadmaps or Kanban boards to show the plan visually.

Step 6: Review Regularly

Things change—markets, user needs, and priorities. Revisit and adjust your plans often to stay aligned with your goals.

Quick Tips

• Balance fixing bugs with building new features.

• Focus on solving real customer problems.

• Be flexible when priorities shift.

  
  

With these steps, you’ll prioritize features confidently and keep your team aligned.

Happy building! 🚀