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feature-prioritisation

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Apply prioritisation frameworks (RICE, MoSCoW, Kano, ICE, Opportunity Scoring) to rank features and backlog items. Use when asked to prioritise features, rank a backlog, decide what to build next, or evaluate tradeoffs between competing ideas. Produces a scored, ranked feature list with framework-specific tables, recommended build order, deprioritised items, and assumptions made.

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Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/mohitagw15856/pm-claude-skills/blob/HEAD/exports/openclaw/feature-prioritisation/SKILL.md

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Feature Prioritisation Skill

Apply the right prioritisation framework to any backlog and produce a clear, defensible ranking with rationale — not just a sorted list.

Required Inputs

Ask the user for these if not provided:

  • List of features or initiatives to prioritise
  • Goal or metric being prioritised against (OKR, launch, sprint)
  • Preferred framework (or recommend based on context below)
  • Team data: reach estimates, effort estimates, velocity (for RICE)

Framework Selection Guide

Ask the user which framework they prefer, or recommend based on context:

SituationRecommended Framework
Need a quick, data-driven scoreRICE
Stakeholder alignment meetingMoSCoW
Understanding customer delight vs expectationsKano
Early-stage startup, fast decisionsICE
Identifying underserved customer needsOpportunity Scoring
Strategic portfolio decisionsValue vs Effort Matrix

RICE Scoring

Formula: (Reach × Impact × Confidence) ÷ Effort

FactorDefinitionScale
ReachUsers impacted per quarterActual number
ImpactEffect on goal per user0.25 / 0.5 / 1 / 2 / 3
ConfidenceHow certain are you?50% / 80% / 100%
EffortPerson-months requiredActual number

Output table:

FeatureReachImpactConfidenceEffortRICE ScorePriority

MoSCoW Method

Categorise each feature as:

  • Must Have — non-negotiable for launch/sprint; product fails without it
  • Should Have — important but not critical; workarounds exist
  • Could Have — nice to have; include only if time allows
  • Won't Have (this time) — explicitly out of scope now; may revisit

Always ask: "Must have for what?" — define the scope (launch, sprint, quarter) before categorising.


ICE Scoring (Startup/fast mode)

Formula: Impact + Confidence + Ease (each 1–10)

Quick, subjective — good for early decisions before data exists.


Kano Model

Classify features into:

  • Basic (Must-be): Expected; absence causes dissatisfaction
  • Performance: More = better satisfaction; linear relationship
  • Excitement (Delighters): Unexpected; creates delight; absence is neutral
  • Indifferent: Users don't care either way
  • Reverse: Some users want it, others don't

Recommend building: all Basic features first → Performance features for key use cases → 1–2 Excitement features per release.


Programmatic Helper

This skill ships with a stdlib-only Python script that computes ranking for the math-based frameworks (RICE, ICE) so feature scoring is consistent across sessions.

# RICE from JSON
python3 scripts/feature_prioritisation.py initiatives.json --framework rice

# RICE from CSV
python3 scripts/feature_prioritisation.py initiatives.csv --framework rice --format csv

# ICE from JSON
python3 scripts/feature_prioritisation.py features.json --framework ice

# Pipe into it
printf '%s\n' '[{"name":"API refactor","impact":8,"confidence":80,"ease":5}]' \
  | python3 scripts/feature_prioritisation.py --framework ice -

Use --json to produce machine-readable output for downstream tooling.


Output Format

Feature Prioritisation — [Product/Team] — [Date]

Framework Used: [RICE / MoSCoW / ICE / Kano / Custom] Scope: [Sprint / Quarter / Release] Goal being prioritised against: [Metric or objective]

[Scored table using selected framework]

Recommended Build Order:

  1. [Feature] — [1-line rationale]
  2. [Feature] — [1-line rationale]
  3. ...

Explicitly Deprioritised:

  • [Feature] — Reason: [brief]

Assumptions Made:

  • [Any estimates or judgements used in scoring]

Guidelines

  • Always anchor prioritisation to a specific goal or metric — never prioritise in a vacuum
  • Flag when two features have similar scores but very different risk profiles
  • If stakeholder politics are influencing prioritisation, name it explicitly and suggest separating the framework score from the final decision
  • Recommend revisiting priorities every 2 weeks minimum
  • Never produce a single-column ranked list without rationale — explain the top 3 and bottom 3 decisions

Scoring Rubric (0–40)

Score any output of this skill before handing it over; 32+ is ship-quality.

Dimension0510
Goal anchoringNo stated goal, or items silently scored against different objectivesA goal is named but individual scores don't reference it; off-goal items scored anywayOne explicit metric and scope; every score justified against it; items serving a different goal ejected with instructions to resubmit
Scoring integrityFrameworks mixed in one session, arithmetic wrong, or scales invented mid-tableOne framework applied consistently, but confidence defaults high and scale anchors are undefinedConsistent framework, verifiable maths, defined impact anchors, confidence honestly reflecting the evidence behind each estimate
Transparency of cuts and assumptionsCut items simply vanish; no record of estimates or their sourcesDeprioritised items listed but without reasons; assumptions partial or unsourcedEvery cut carries a reason and revisit trigger; assumptions name their sources (analytics, engineering estimates) so the ranking is re-runnable
Judgment beyond the numberA sorted table presented as the decisionTop picks get rationale, but near-ties, risk profiles, and politics go unmentionedNear-ties broken on risk with reasoning shown; political pressure named with framework score separated from final decision; top and bottom of list both explained

Quality Checks

  • Every item is scored against the same goal or metric (not different goals per item)
  • Deprioritised items are explicitly listed with reasons (not just absent from the ranked list)
  • Assumptions used in scoring are documented
  • Stakeholder politics or personal preferences are separated from framework score
  • Prioritisation is anchored to a specific scope (sprint / quarter / launch)

Anti-Patterns

  • Do not score items against different goals — every item in a prioritisation session must be scored against the same objective
  • Do not omit deprioritised items — explicitly listing what was cut and why is as important as the ranked list
  • Do not let stakeholder politics override framework scores without documenting the override and reason
  • Do not mix RICE, ICE, or MoSCoW scores across frameworks in a single session — pick one framework per prioritisation exercise
  • Do not treat the output as final without documenting the assumptions used in scoring — assumptions change, and the list must be revisitable