Frameworks

Product prioritization frameworks

Every framework with the formula, the inputs, what it replaces, and a 60-second generator that runs it on your data.

Pick by job:Score the backlog →Defend the spend →Tell the board →

01 · Narrative

●●●10 min

Minto Pyramid Roadmap Template

Lead with the answer. Defend it with grouped evidence.

Answer ▲ 3–5 Arguments ▲ Supporting initiatives + data

InputsGoverning recommendation · 2–5 strategic arguments · Initiatives with ROIOne-page pyramid the board can repeat verbatim

Conclusion first — your TL;DR doubles as the board minute.
Mutually-exclusive arguments stop the room from re-litigating scope.
Re-score one initiative, the whole pyramid re-totals.

When to use: When the deck has 40 slides and no one can tell you the recommendation.
Replaces: Status-update decks that bury the ask on slide 27.

Read the full guide →Draft the pyramid →

02 · Scoring

●●●5 min / item

FVI Product Prioritization Matrix

Score every initiative the same way. Stop arguing about priority.

FVI = (Expected $ Value × Confidence) ÷ Effort (eng-weeks)

InputsExpected value ($) · Confidence (0–1) · Effort (eng-weeks)Dollars per engineering week, ranked

Forces a confidence haircut — kills hype-driven priorities.
Output is a dollar/eng-week number anyone in finance can defend.
Plots on a 2×2: top-left ships, bottom-right gets killed.

When to use: When the backlog has 80 items and three execs each have a different top 5.
Replaces: RICE debates where 'Impact' hides every assumption.

Read the full guide →Score my backlog →

03 · Finance

●●●3 min

Marginal Cost of Software Squads

Know exactly what the next squad costs before you hire it.

Squad $ = (Base × 1.35) × HC + Infra + EM overhead + Opportunity cost

InputsBase comp · Headcount · Infra/eng/yr · Seeding-lead displacementAnnual marginal $ per squad + break-even ARR bar

Real squad cost is 2.4–3.1× base salary once fully loaded.
Adds opportunity cost of the tech lead seeding the squad.
Shows the 18-month break-even bar in ARR or saved cost.

When to use: When finance says 'too many engineers per dollar of ARR'.
Replaces: Base-salary-only headcount models that under-count cost 2–3×.

Read the full guide →Cost the next squad →

04 · Narrative

●●●15 min

SCQA Board Presentation Framework

Stop opening with 'Q3 update.' Open with the tension.

Situation → Complication → Question → Answer (with the $ math)

InputsShared baseline · What changed · The single decision · Your recommendationFour-slide opener that forces a decision, not a status update

Question is binary or trinary — no 'thoughts?' endings.
Numbers live only in the Answer, so the tension lands first.
Pairs with NPV: the Answer is the math, not the opinion.

When to use: When your last board review ended with 'let's circle back next month'.
Replaces: 'Q3 update' decks that lull the room before the ask.

Read the full guide →Draft my SCQA →

05 · Finance

●●●60 sec

Build vs Buy vs Rent Decision Framework

Stop deciding build-vs-buy on gut feel. Run the NPV.

NPV = −I₀ + Σ (CFₜ ÷ (1 + WACC)ᵗ) · compared across Build / Buy / Rent

InputsUpfront $ · Annual run-rate $ · WACC · Horizon (yrs) · Switching costNPV per option + qualitative scorecard

Three options, not two — Rent usually wins on time-to-market.
Maintenance tail: a trained model costs ~1.6× its build cost over two years.
Build only if 3-yr NPV beats Buy by ≥35% — the premium covers execution risk.

When to use: When the AI/vendor debate is stuck on opinions, not numbers.
Replaces: Two-option Build-vs-Buy decks that ignore Rent entirely.

Read the full guide →Run the NPV →

06 · Scoring

●●●10 min

RICE vs FVI: Product Prioritization Compared

RICE got you to a ranked list. FVI gets you a number finance will defend.

RICE = (R × I × C) ÷ E vs FVI = ($ × Confidence) ÷ Eng-weeks

InputsReach · Impact / $ value · Confidence (0–1) · EffortRICE: abstract rank · FVI: $/eng-week vs squad cost

RICE ranks. FVI prices. Same effort, defendable output.
FVI lines up directly against fully-loaded squad cost ($/eng-week).
Both keep the confidence haircut — hype-driven priorities still die.

When to use: When finance asks 'how much money is that, exactly?' and 'Impact = 3' isn't an answer.
Replaces: RICE Impact debates where the loudest VP wins.

Read the full guide →Score with FVI →

07 · Scoring

●●●5 min

RICE Prioritization Framework

Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort — one score, one ranked backlog.

RICE = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) ÷ Effort

InputsReach (users/qtr) · Impact (0.25–3) · Confidence (0–1) · Effort (person-months)A single comparable score per initiative

Five-point Impact scale stops false precision from creeping into the score.
Confidence haircut kills hype-driven priorities before they hit the roadmap.
Outputs a single rank you can compare across squads in one table.

When to use: Weekly backlog grooming for a single product team that needs a fast, defensible rank.
Replaces: Gut-feel priority calls and stakeholder volume contests.

Read the full guide →Score with RICE →

Pick the right one

One table, five frameworks. Match the job to the math.

Framework	Use for	Math	Time	Output
Minto Pyramid Roadmap Template Narrative	When the deck has 40 slides and no one can tell you the recommendation.	●●●	10 min	One-page pyramid the board can repeat verbatim
FVI Product Prioritization Matrix Scoring	When the backlog has 80 items and three execs each have a different top 5.	●●●	5 min / item	Dollars per engineering week, ranked
Marginal Cost of Software Squads Finance	When finance says 'too many engineers per dollar of ARR'.	●●●	3 min	Annual marginal $ per squad + break-even ARR bar
SCQA Board Presentation Framework Narrative	When your last board review ended with 'let's circle back next month'.	●●●	15 min	Four-slide opener that forces a decision, not a status update
Build vs Buy vs Rent Decision Framework Finance	When the AI/vendor debate is stuck on opinions, not numbers.	●●●	60 sec	NPV per option + qualitative scorecard
RICE vs FVI: Product Prioritization Compared Scoring	When finance asks 'how much money is that, exactly?' and 'Impact = 3' isn't an answer.	●●●	10 min	RICE: abstract rank · FVI: $/eng-week vs squad cost
RICE Prioritization Framework Scoring	Weekly backlog grooming for a single product team that needs a fast, defensible rank.	●●●	5 min	A single comparable score per initiative