The RICE prioritization framework, with worked examples

RICE gives every idea a single number, so a two-day tweak and a two-month project can sit in the same list. The number matters less than the conversation it forces about each input.

What is the RICE framework?

RICE is a prioritization method developed by Intercom's product team. It scores each idea on four factors and combines them:

RICE score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) ÷ Effort

Higher scores mean more value per unit of work. A score only means something next to other ideas scored the same way, for the same time period.

How do you score each RICE factor?

• Reach: how many people or events the idea affects in a fixed time period. For example, "users per quarter who open the reminders screen." Use the same period for every idea.
• Impact: how much it moves your goal for each person reached. Use the standard scale: 3 = massive, 2 = high, 1 = medium, 0.5 = low, 0.25 = minimal.
• Confidence: how sure you are of the other estimates. 100% = high (you have data), 80% = medium (some evidence), 50% = low (mostly a hunch).
• Effort: total team time in person-months, including design, engineering and QA. Half a month is 0.5.

A worked RICE example

A fictional habit-tracker app scores four requests from its feedback board for next quarter:

Here's the math for the top row: 4,000 × 1 × 0.8 = 3,200, divided by 1 person-month = 3,200.

What the team learns from it:

• Snooze wins clearly. It's cheap, it touches many users, and support tickets back up the estimate.
• Shared habits and CSV export are effectively tied. A small gap between scores is not a real difference. Use judgment, such as which one fits this quarter's goal.
• The smartwatch app scores low mostly on confidence and effort. That means "learn more first," not "never." A few user interviews could raise confidence before anyone commits four person-months.

You can run your own list through the RICE calculator.

How do you get inputs you can defend?

Most RICE arguments are about inputs. Ground each one in evidence:

1. Reach from data. Use analytics for the relevant screen or plan. Vote counts are a floor, not the reach, because many affected users never vote. Merge duplicate requests first so you aren't undercounting (see how to handle duplicate feature requests).
2. Impact tied to one goal. Pick the quarter's goal, such as retention or activation, and write one sentence on why each idea earns its impact score.
3. Confidence from what you actually have. Usage data supports 100%. A handful of user quotes supports 80%. A hunch is 50%. Requests that capture the user's problem in their own words make this easier; see feature request templates.
4. Effort from the people doing the work. Ask engineering and design.

What are the common RICE mistakes?

• Mixing time periods. Reach per month for one idea and per year for another makes scores meaningless.
• Impact inflation. If everything is a 2, impact stops separating anything. Force yourself to use the whole scale.
• Using Confidence to sneak in a favorite. Rating your own idea 100% and others 50% without evidence defeats the point.
• Treating the score as the decision. RICE ranks options. It ignores dependencies, deadlines and strategy.
• Scoring alone. Score as a small group so estimates get challenged.

When shouldn't you use RICE?

Skip it for security fixes, legal requirements and severe bugs, which get done regardless of score. It also adds little with only two or three ideas you can compare directly, or for long bets where every input is a guess. For how RICE fits alongside votes and revenue, read how to prioritize feature requests.

Doing this with Sikia

Sikia keeps vote counts and user quotes on each request, which gives you a starting point for Reach and Confidence. Its get_spec MCP tool returns a request's problem, user quotes and acceptance criteria, which helps when you estimate Effort with your team.

FAQ

Who created the RICE framework?

RICE was developed by Intercom's product team as a way to compare product ideas consistently.

What is a good RICE score?

There's no absolute good score. RICE only works for ranking ideas against each other when they were scored with the same scales and time period.

Should Effort include design and QA time?

Yes. Effort is total time from everyone involved. Counting only engineering time makes design-heavy projects look cheaper than they are.

What's the difference between RICE and ICE?

ICE scores Impact, Confidence and Ease and leaves out Reach. It's faster, but an idea for a few users and one for everyone can score the same unless you fold reach into your Impact estimate.