Every product team has more ideas than time. Customers ask for features, managers have plans, engineers want to fix old problems, and partners make requests. Choosing what to do first, and explaining why, is a core product skill. On small Ghanaian teams, where a few people support a whole product, focus can decide whether the product survives.
Value and effort
The simplest prioritisation tool is a two by two grid:
- High value, low effort: do these first. They are often called quick wins.
- High value, high effort: plan these carefully as major projects.
- Low value, low effort: fill gaps with these, if at all.
- Low value, high effort: avoid.
"Value" means value to users and the business, backed by evidence where possible. "Effort" should come from engineers and designers, not from your guess.
Scoring when there are many ideas
When the list is long, score each idea. One popular approach multiplies how many people it reaches, how much it helps each one, and how confident you are, then divides by effort. The exact formula matters less than writing your reasons down so others can question them.
Saying no politely
Prioritising means saying no, or "not now", to most requests. A respectful no:
- Thanks the person and shows you understood the need.