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RICE overview

RICE is a popular prioritization framework in project and product management.

RICE stands for:

  • Reach
  • Impact
  • Confidence
  • Effort

It helps teams score and prioritize ideas, features, or projects in a structured way.

Definitions

Reach

  • Definition: How many people will be affected by this work in a given time period?
  • Example: “This feature will reach 500 customers per quarter.”
  • Unit: Number of people/events (e.g., users per month).

Impact

  • Definition: How much will this project move the needle if successful?

  • Scale: Often scored qualitatively (e.g.):

  • 3 = Massive impact

  • 2 = High impact
  • 1 = Medium impact
  • 0.5 = Low impact
  • 0.25 = Minimal impact

Confidence

  • Definition: How sure are you about your estimates?

  • Scale: Percentage, for example:

  • 100% = High confidence

  • 80% = Medium confidence
  • 50% = Low confidence

Effort

  • Definition: How much time will it take to complete?
  • Unit: Person-months (or any consistent time measure).
  • Note: This is typically the denominator—you want high impact and low effort.

The Formula

The RICE score is calculated as:

\[ \text{RICE Score} = \frac{(\text{Reach} \times \text{Impact} \times \text{Confidence})}{\text{Effort}} \]

This gives you a numeric value you can use to compare and prioritize initiatives objectively.

Example

Suppose you’re evaluating a feature:

  • Reach: 500 users per quarter
  • Impact: 2 (High)
  • Confidence: 80% (0.8)
  • Effort: 2 person-months
\[ \text{RICE Score} = \frac{(500 \times 2 \times 0.8)}{2} = \frac{800}{2} = 400 \]

You can then rank this score against others.

Why use RICE?

RICE helps:

  • Reduce bias in prioritization
  • Make decisions transparent
  • Align teams around clear criteria

Rice Keys

Effort Keys

  • 1 - Minimal Effort: The project requires very little time or resources, such as a small task that can be completed in hours or days. Examples: A simple bug fix, a text change, or enabling a setting. [2 Weeks]

  • 2 - Low Effort: The project is relatively quick and easy to implement but requires more time than minimal tasks. Examples: Adding a small feature, making minor UX/UI adjustments, or integrating a simple API. [4 Weeks]

  • 3 - Medium Effort: The project is moderately complex, requiring significant but manageable resources, likely over weeks. Examples: Developing a mid-sized feature, addressing a complicated bug, or completing a non-critical infrastructure task. [6 weeks]

  • 4 - High Effort: The project requires a substantial time investment, coordination across teams, and several months of work. Examples: Launching a major new feature or redesigning an existing product area. [12 weeks]

  • 5 - Massive Effort: The project is highly complex, resource-intensive, and may span multiple teams over many months. Examples: Building a new product line, overhauling the entire platform, or creating complex integrations. [16 weeks]

Impact Keys

  • 5 - Massive Impact: The project will significantly change user behaviour or drive a major business outcome. Examples: A feature expected to double user engagement. A solution solving a major pain point for most of your users.

  • 4 - High Impact: The project will bring notable benefits to users or the business but not as transformative as "massive." Examples: A feature that increases conversion rates by 20%. A tool improving customer retention for a key user segment.

  • 3 - Medium Impact: The project has a noticeable but moderate effect on users or the business. Examples: A quality-of-life improvement that makes a feature easier to use. Incremental revenue or efficiency gains.

  • 2 - Low Impact: The project benefits users or the business, but the effect is relatively minor. Examples: A minor bug fix or aesthetic improvement. A small process improvement for internal teams.

  • 1. Minimal Impact: The project has very little measurable impact. Examples: A feature request from a small subset of users. Cosmetic changes that do not affect usability or outcomes.