Prioritization

The process of ordering product backlog items by relative value, risk, and effort so the team always works on the most important things first. Effective prioritization maximizes return on investment — delivering the highest-value features earliest minimizes time-to-value and reduces the risk of building the wrong thing. Common prioritization frameworks include MoSCoW, RICE scoring (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort), Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF), and the Kano model. In Scrum, prioritization is the product owner's responsibility. Good prioritization is not a one-time activity — the product owner continuously re-orders the backlog as new information emerges from user feedback, market changes, and sprint outcomes.