Prioritization Case Study
Part of the Product Management Roadmap
In short
Every PM interview eventually asks how you decide what to build first. A written prioritisation case study lets you show that reasoning before they even ask.
Given a realistic backlog of competing ideas and limited resources, show your reasoning for what you'd build first and why — the artifact most directly relevant to actual PM interviews.
Think of it like this
Your first salary
Your first salary arrives. Rent, a gift for your mother, a new phone, savings. You can't do everything this month. You weigh what matters most, what can wait, and what happens if you skip something. Then you explain your choice to your family without a fight.
Watch it happen
Scoring a backlog with RICE
1/6Five ideas, one quarter, a team that can build two. RICE scores Reach, Impact, Confidence and Effort.
The big ideas
What you need to know
Start from a goal
State the goal first. Priorities only make sense against something you're trying to move.
Use a framework
RICE, impact vs effort or similar give structure. Show your scores openly.
Then use judgment
Explain where you overrode the scores and why, like a strategic bet or a dependency.
Say what you won't do
A clear not-now list, with reasons, is half the value.
See it in code
A tiny example
1=B2*C2*D2/E22=RANK(F2, $F$2:$F$6)With Reach in B, Impact in C, Confidence in D and Effort in E, the first formula gives the RICE score in F. The second ranks it against the other ideas.
Save yourself the pain
Common mistakes
Oops
Letting the spreadsheet decide everything.
Do this instead
Use scores as input, then explain your judgment in words.
Oops
Inventing very precise numbers to look rigorous.
Do this instead
Use rough, honest estimates and say how confident you are in each.
Your mission
First milestone: the scored backlog
Quick check
Your RICE scores put a feature third, but it unblocks two others. What should you do?
Go deeper
- 1Construct 5-6 competing feature ideas with rough effort and impact estimates.
- 2Apply a framework (RICE or similar) but explain where your judgment overrides the raw score.
- 3Be ready to defend your #1 choice against a plausible counter-argument.
More projects at this stop
0-to-1 Product Case Study
Feature Redesign Case Study
Root-Cause: Diagnose a Metric Drop
Competitive Teardown
Reverse-PRD: Critique an App You Use Daily
Portfolio Deck or Website
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