- Post 1: RICE
- Post 2: Buy a Feature
This is one of the simpler techniques for product prioritization, but no less valuable for it simplicity. In fact, this is usually one of the first techniques I deploy when starting at a new organization. Why? Because I don’t understand the needs of the organization and it can quickly show me where the organizational heat is.
Step 1: Write down all the ideas on sticky notes
There are a few different approaches to this phase:
- Each player gets infinite sticky notes vs player gets a defined number of sticky notes
- Each player/department gets the same color sticky notes vs each player/department getting different color sticky notes
- Ideas need to be groomed enough to have a cost & the purchase price vs using this process to determine which ideas need to be groomed
All ideas should be posted. And they should be semi-anonymous (aka don’t put your name on it). This helps remove the temptation to vote for a politically powerful person’s idea. It is important to time-box this process. I usually like to have 30 minutes for this.
Step 2: Organize the ideas into high-level groups/themes
The interesting thing about this process is the potential combining of nascent ideas into singular ideas or clustered themes. There are sub-steps to this organization process. Each one should be time-boxed; suggestions included below:
- 30 minutes: Ask for clarifying questions for ideas (especially for ideas that are not fully-formed)
- 15 minutes: Combine duplicative ideas
- 30 minutes: Shift the ideas into clusters based upon patterns/themes that emerge from the ideas
Step 3: Buy a Feature
In this phase of the Buy a Feature prioritization methodology that the name is derived. Players are awarded stickers to stick on a feature. There are some interesting potential differentiators here:
Do your ideas have a budget?
If features have a budget
When the correct number of stickers is added (budget of 5 and 5 are awarded) then feature is considered to be bought and will added into the list for prioritization
If features do not have a budget
Note: This is the solution I prefer.
You use the quantity of stickers to determine the prioritization for grooming. I like to give different color stickers to different departments to see heat-based upon a departments pain-points. You can also sum up the number of stickers given to the theme/cluster to see if this should be a larger focus area
What might that look like?
Although the name is derived from this phase – it is actually the shortest with 15 minutes for the whole phase. In total there were hundreds of votes cast
Step 4: Prune, Prioritize, & Discuss
This phase is situationally dependent on the way the voting occurred, internal capacity/resources, & budget:
- Remove sticky notes without votes
- Sort the sticky notes inside each theme/category by the amount of stickers associated with them
- Discuss themes & ideas in those themes.
- Determine if it makes more sense to prioritize themes or individual ideas.
- Determine if an idea/theme includes significant architectural, design, or other pre-work.
- Thank everyone
Depending on the organization and the desired outcome this approach can be used as a surfacing mechanism for ideas for further analysis and grooming or to immediately set the priority & roadmap.
Pros & Cons of Buy a Feature Prioritization Methodology
As with every technique used to prioritize there are some pros & cons:
Pros to “Buy a Feature”
- It is one of the fastest approaches to prioritization
- It is one of the easiest approaches to prioritization
- It can be very good team building
Cons to “Buy a Feature”
- It presumes all voices are equal & have equally understanding of priorities
- It isn’t very scientific
- It presumes all labor/resources are evenly distributable
- It can become political depending on the players’ personalities in the room
DISCLAIMER: TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS
Along the way, it is important to take photos at each step before starting the next step. This can be very useful for building a backlog.
Adapt as needed
One of the important things that this series of posts is trying to expose is that – all methodologies shouldn’t be taken as gospel, but instead a framework to bend to the needs of your organization.