Priority Scoring

Purpose

Apply consistent, objective scoring for roadmap sequencing and strategic comparisons:

Standardized formula across all prioritization decisions
Weighted scoring balancing signal strength, strategy, impact, and complexity
Numerical rankings enabling roadmap sequencing
Transparent methodology for stakeholder alignment

Note: PRDs use timeline-based prioritization rather than this scoring formula. This skill is primarily used for:

Comparing strategic options
Ranking backlog items for roadmap placement
Strategy sessions evaluating trade-offs

When to Use This Skill

Activate automatically when:

roadmap-updating workflow sequences initiatives
Strategy sessions evaluate option trade-offs
User explicitly requests priority calculation
Comparing competing features or initiatives

Scoring Formula

Standard formula:

Priority Score = (0.2 × SignalStrength) + (0.4 × StrategicFit) + (0.3 × Impact) - (0.1 × Complexity)

Component weights:

SignalStrength (20%): Evidence from customers, partners, and internal teams
StrategicFit (40%): Alignment with current strategic priorities
Impact (30%): Expected influence on key business metrics
Complexity (10%, negative): Estimated difficulty and risk

Score range: 0.0 to 10.0 (higher = higher priority)

Component Definitions

1. SignalStrength (0-10 scale)

Definition: Evidence quality and quantity supporting this item.

Calculation:

SignalStrength = (0.4 × CustomerScore) + (0.3 × RecencyScore) + (0.2 × DiversityScore) + (0.1 × FrequencyScore)

CustomerScore (0-10): Based on unique customer/account mentions:

1 account: 3.0
2 accounts: 5.0
3 accounts: 7.0
4+ accounts: 9.0
6+ accounts: 10.0

RecencyScore (0-10): Based on most recent mention:

<7 days ago: 10.0
7-14 days ago: 8.0
14-30 days ago: 6.0
30-60 days ago: 4.0
60-90 days ago: 2.0
90 days ago: 1.0

DiversityScore (0-10): Based on source type mix (customers, partners, internal functions):

1 source type: 4.0
2 source types: 7.0
3+ source types: 10.0

FrequencyScore (0-10): Based on total mention count:

1-2 mentions: 3.0
3-5 mentions: 6.0
6-10 mentions: 8.0
11+ mentions: 10.0

2. StrategicFit (0-10 scale)

Definition: Alignment with current strategic priorities.

Evaluation criteria:

High Strategic Fit (8-10):

Directly advances top-tier strategic goals
Addresses core differentiators
Supports primary growth vectors
Enables strategic positioning

Medium Strategic Fit (5-7):

Supports strategic goals indirectly
Table-stakes feature (necessary but not differentiating)
Addresses secondary growth vectors
Competitive parity (match competitor features)

Low Strategic Fit (1-4):

Tangential to current strategy
One-off request not fitting larger themes
Nice-to-have without strategic rationale
Distracts from core priorities

Scoring method:

List current strategic priorities (from strategy memos, roadmap themes)
Assess item alignment with each priority
Score based on strength and breadth of alignment

3. Impact (0-10 scale)

Definition: Expected influence on key business metrics.

Primary metrics:

Churn reduction
Revenue growth / expansion
Time-to-first-value (TTFV)
User engagement / activation
Customer satisfaction (NPS)

Scoring tiers:

Transformative Impact (9-10):

20%+ improvement in primary metric
Addresses #1 churn reason or growth blocker
Unlocks new market segment or revenue stream

Significant Impact (7-8):

10-20% improvement in primary metric
Addresses top-3 churn reason or growth driver
Measurable revenue or retention improvement

Moderate Impact (5-6):

5-10% improvement in primary metric
Incremental improvement in satisfaction or engagement
Small but measurable business impact

Minor Impact (3-4):

<5% improvement
Difficult to measure impact
Improves experience but unclear business effect

Minimal Impact (1-2):

No clear metric impact
Pure convenience or polish
Uncertain benefit

4. Complexity (0-10 scale, negative weight)

Definition: Estimated difficulty, time, and risk.

Evaluation dimensions:

Technical Complexity:

Single system/surface: Low (2-3)
Multiple systems: Medium (4-6)
Cross-platform + integrations: High (7-8)
Major architectural change: Very High (9-10)

Time Estimate:

<1 week: Low (2)
1-2 weeks: Low-Medium (3-4)
2-4 weeks: Medium (5-6)
4-6 weeks: High (7-8)
6 weeks: Very High (9-10)

Risk Level:

Well-understood, proven patterns: Low (2-3)
Some unknowns, moderate dependencies: Medium (4-6)
Many unknowns, high dependencies: High (7-8)
Unproven approach, critical path: Very High (9-10)

Complexity Score:

Complexity = (0.4 × TechnicalComplexity) + (0.4 × TimeEstimate) + (0.2 × RiskLevel)

Scoring Process

1. Load Item Data

Required inputs:

Item title and description
Signal data from meeting synthesis (if available):
- Unique customer count
- Mention count
- Most recent mention date
- Source diversity (customer/partner/internal)
Strategic context (current priorities)
Estimated time and complexity

2. Calculate Component Scores

Apply formulas for each component as defined above.

3. Apply Priority Formula

Calculate:

Priority Score = (0.2 × SignalStrength) + (0.4 × StrategicFit) + (0.3 × Impact) - (0.1 × Complexity)

Round to one decimal place.

4. Generate Scoring Report

Output format:

# Priority Scoring Report

**Item**: {Title}

## Component Scores

**SignalStrength**: {score}/10
- Customer mentions: {N} accounts
- Most recent: {N} days ago
- Source diversity: {N} types
- Total mentions: {N}

**StrategicFit**: {score}/10
- Alignment assessment: {High/Medium/Low fit}

**Impact**: {score}/10
- Primary metric: {metric name}
- Expected improvement: {% or absolute}
- Impact tier: {Transformative/Significant/Moderate/Minor/Minimal}

**Complexity**: {score}/10 (negative weight)
- Technical complexity: {score}/10
- Time estimate: {weeks} weeks
- Risk level: {score}/10

## Final Priority Score

**{Final Score}/10**

**Interpretation**: {High/Medium/Low priority}
**Recommendation**: {Roadmap placement suggestion}

5. Rank Items

When scoring multiple items:

Calculate priority score for each
Sort by score (descending)
Group into priority tiers:
- High Priority (8.0-10.0): Near-term roadmap
- Medium Priority (5.0-7.9): Mid-term backlog
- Low Priority (<5.0): Long-term or deferred

Integration with Workflows

Roadmap Updating Integration

Invoked by:

roadmap-updating workflow

Usage:

Re-score existing items when priorities shift
Compare new items against existing roadmap
Re-sequence based on updated scores

Strategy Session Integration