Skip to main content
Documentation/RICE Scoring

RICE Scoring

Framework-based prioritization

Overview

RICE is a prioritization framework developed by Intercom that helps product teams objectively score and rank features. IdeaLift supports both manual RICE scoring and AI-assisted estimation to help you prioritize your backlog.

RICE Score = (R × I × C) / E

The RICE Framework

R

Reach

How many customers will this feature impact in a given time period?

Example: If 500 users would use this feature per quarter, Reach = 500

I

Impact

How much will this feature move the needle for each user? Scored on a scale:

3
Massive
2
High
1
Medium
0.5
Low
0.25
Minimal
C

Confidence

How confident are you in your Reach and Impact estimates? Expressed as a percentage:

100%
High
80%
Medium
50%
Low
20%
Moonshot
E

Effort

How many person-months will this take to build? Includes design, development, and QA.

Example: 2 engineers for 3 weeks = 1.5 person-months

Requirements

  • •IdeaLift Growth plan or higher

Using RICE in IdeaLift

Manual Scoring

  1. Open an idea and click Add RICE Score
  2. Enter values for Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort
  3. The RICE score is calculated automatically
  4. Score is saved and displayed on the idea card

AI-Assisted Estimation

  1. Click Estimate with AI on an idea
  2. AI analyzes the idea description and customer context
  3. Suggested values appear for each RICE factor
  4. Review and adjust the suggestions, then save

Note: AI estimates are starting points. Always validate with your team's domain knowledge.

Batch Scoring

  1. Select multiple ideas in the list view
  2. Click Bulk Actions → Estimate RICE
  3. AI generates estimates for all selected ideas
  4. Review the batch and approve or adjust

Priority Labels

Based on RICE scores, ideas are automatically labeled:

Quick Win
High score, low effort
Big Bet
High score, high effort
Fill-In
Medium score
Don't Do
Low score

Best Practices

  • Be consistent with time periods - pick quarterly or monthly and stick to it
  • Lower your Confidence score when you're guessing about Reach or Impact
  • Include all effort - design, dev, QA, docs, and rollout
  • Re-score ideas when you learn new information
  • Use RICE alongside Signal Scores for a complete picture
← Back to Documentation