The Best Product Management Method for You
As a product manager, you handle the strategy, roadmap, and delivery of a product. Your role involves prioritizing a wide range of tasks and responsibilities. With so many methods available, it can be tough to know which prioritization method to use. Should you go with the Kano model, RICE, MoSCoW, Value vs. Effort, or Importance vs. Satisfaction? Let’s go over each one and then I’ll share which I think works best overall.
1. Kano Model
The Kano model helps gauge customer satisfaction with a product or feature. It breaks customer needs into three types:
- Basic (must-have) requirements: Essential features without which the product won’t function. For example, a web browser must load pages.
- Performance benefits: Features that add value and improve satisfaction, like faster page loading or enhanced security in a browser.
- Delighter requirements: These aren’t necessary but create excitement, such as 3D browsing or VR support in a browser.
2. RICE Scorecard
The RICE scorecard helps prioritize features based on Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort:
- Reach: How many users will the feature affect?
- Impact: How significantly will the feature affect users?
- Confidence: How sure are you that the feature will achieve the desired effect?
- Effort: How much time and resources will it take to develop?
The RICE method helps you assess which features can deliver the most impact with reasonable confidence and resources.
3. MoSCoW Method
The MoSCoW method prioritizes features based on necessity:
- Must-Have: Essential features without which the product would be unusable.
- Should-Have: Important features that improve the experience but aren’t critical.
- Could-Have: Nice-to-have features that might be added if there’s time and resources.
- Won’t-Have: Features that won’t be included, either because they’re unnecessary or impractical for now.
4. Value vs. Effort Matrix
The value vs. effort matrix helps prioritize based on how a feature impacts business goals and the effort it requires:
- High Value / Low Effort: Do now! These features have a big payoff with minimal effort.
- High Value / High Effort: Worth doing later—high impact but significant resources required.
- Low Value / Low Effort: Could be done eventually—low impact but quick to implement.
- Low Value / High Effort: Not worth it—low impact with a high cost in resources.
Importance vs Satisfaction Matrix
The importance vs. satisfaction matrix prioritizes based on customer importance and satisfaction:
- High Importance / Low Satisfaction: Do now! Customers want it, and they’re not satisfied yet.
- High Importance / High Satisfaction: Worth doing later—important, but customers are mostly happy.
- Low Importance / Low Satisfaction: Could be done—unimportant and unsatisfactory.
- Low Importance / High Satisfaction: Not worth doing—unimportant and customers are already happy.
Final thoughts
Each method has strengths depending on the situation, but the Value vs. Effort matrix is often the most versatile for prioritizing features that drive impact efficiently. Whatever method you choose, consider both the needs of the customer and the available resources for the best outcomes.
