In the bustling heart of tech, where new ideas sprout faster than we can tend to them, Intercom—a messaging software company—found itself at a crossroads. Sean McBride was a product manager for Intercom. He and his team sifted though a variety of prioritization models to find one that best met their challenges. And while these pre-existing models offered insights, none truly resonated with the precise needs of Intercom’s ever-expanding universe of project ideas.
So, what does a company do when it’s caught between a rock and a hard place? It innovates.
McBride and his team weren’t about to let existing models hold them back. They rolled up their sleeves and carved out their own….
Enter the RICE prioritization model—a fresh, pragmatic approach that melds four clear-cut factors: reach, impact, confidence, and effort.
The team created a tool to score any project idea. By creating a formula which combined these elements, they were able to create a score that was clear and concise. No more second-guessing. No more “what if?” Just a straight-up, objective system to guide their product roadmap. Guess what? This wasn’t just a makeshift tool—it dramatically refined Intercom’s…
