This document outlines a process for prioritizing projects by: 1) Defining metrics such as sales potential, customer need, quality, architecture, and cost. 2) Categorizing projects according to these metrics in a spreadsheet. 3) Ranking projects by applying weight multipliers to different metrics and adding the weighted values together. The highest ranked projects that meet strategic criteria are prioritized for development. Deciding which projects to fund or cancel is as important as deciding new projects to take on.

1. Voted off the Island
Deciding which projects make the grade
Ashley Eckhoff - Product Camp St. Louis 2013

2. pm.ashleyeckhoff.com
“Swinging the axe”

3. “Deciding what not to do is
as important as deciding
what to do. That is true for
companies, and it’s true for
products.”
– Steve Jobs

4. Where to start?

5. Step #1: Define your metrics...

6. Does it help us make new sales?
How useful is it to our customers?
Is the development funded?
How much will it cost?

7. Step #2: Categorize your projects...

8. Quality
Architecture
Performance
Vision
Strategy

9. Step #3: Fill the buckets...

10. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost
Potential Need
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
P8
P9
P10
P11
P12
P13
P14

11. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost
Potential Need
P1 1 5
P2 2 5
P3 5 3
P4 4 2 These numbers are
P5 3 3
P6 1 2 subjective estimations.
P7 4 5
P8 2 4
P9 5 2
P10 1 3 Choose a scale with
P11 5 3
P12 3 2 the right amount of
P13 1 4 granularity. (1-5)
P14 4 2

12. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost
Potential Need
P1 1 5 X X
P2 2 5 X X
P3 5 3 X
P4 4 2 X
P5 3 3 X
P6 1 2 X
P7 4 5 X
P8 2 4 X
P9 5 2 X
P10 1 3 These categories are
X
P11 5 3 X X
P12 3 2 binary (ON or OFF).
X
P13 1 4 X
P14 4 2 X X

13. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost
Potential Need
P1 1 5 X X 6
P2 2 5 X X 2
P3 5 3 X 9
P4 4 2 X 5
P5 3 3 X 6
P6 1 2 X Use a common scale 3
P7 4 5 X 8
P8 2 4
of cost ($, Person X 5
P9 5 2 Months, etc.).
X 2
P10 1 3 X 9
P11 5 3 X X 5
P12 3 2 X 11
P13 1 4 X 4
P14 4 2 X X 12

14. Step #4: Rank & File...

15. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost
Potential Need
P8 2 4 X 5
P11 5 3 X X 5
P14 4 2 X X 12
P1 1 5 X X 6
P2 2 5 X X 2
P3 5 3 Move “must do”
X 9
P4 4 2 X 5
P5 3 3 projectsXto the top... 6
P6 1 2 X 3
P7 4 5 X 8
P9 5 2 X 2
P10 1 3 X 9
P12 3 2 X 11
P13 1 4 X 4

16. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost
Potential Need
P8 2 4 X 5
P11 5 3 X X 5
P14 4 2 Apply weight X X 12
P1 1 5 X X 6
P2 2 5 multipliers to each of
X X 2
P3 5 3
these columns...
X 9
P4 4 2 X 5
P5 3 3 X 6
P6 1 2 X 3
P7 4 5 Use appropriate
X 8
P9 5 2 granularity for
X 2
P10 1 3 X 9
P12 3 2 multipliers... (1-5)
X 11
P13 1 4 X 4

17. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost
Potential Need
P8 2 4 X 5
P11 5 3 X X 5
P14 4 2 Add these columns
X X 12
P1 1 5 X X 6
P2 2 5
together multiplied by
X X 2
P3 5 3 their individual weights...
X 9
P4 4 2 X 5
P5 3 3 X 6
P6 1 2 X 3
P7 4 5 Binary boxes with X
X 8
P9 5 2 are worth 1, empty
X 2
P10 1 3 X 9
P12 3 2 boxes are worth 0...
X 11
P13 1 4 X 4

18. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost
Potential Need
P8 2 4 X 5
P11 5 3 X X 5
P14 4 2 X X 12
P1 1 5 X X 6
P2 2 5 X X 2
P3 5 3 X 9
P4 4 2
Subtract the cost with
X 5
P5 3 3 X multiplier 6
P6 1 2 X 3
P7 4 5 X 8
P9 5 2 X 2
P10 1 3 X 9
P12 3 2 X 11
P13 1 4 X 4

19. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost
Potential Need
P6 1 2 X 3
} }
1x5=5
(Potential Sales x Weight)
2x2=4
5 + 4 + 3 = 12
(Customer Need x Weight)
1x3=3
(Quality x Weight)
12 - 6 = 6
3x2=6
(Cost x Weight)

20. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost Score
Potential Need
P8 2 4 X 5 8
P11 5 3 X X 5 32
P14 4 2 X X 12 1
P1 1 5 X X 6 7
P2 2 5 X X 2 22
P3 5 3 X 9 15
P4 4 2 X 5 17
P5 3 3 X 6 10
P6 1 2 X 3 6
P7 4 5 X 8 16
P9 5 2 X 2 29
P10 1 3 X 9 -­‐3
P12 3 2 X 11 1
P13 1 4 X 4 8

21. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost Score
Potential Need
P11 5 3 X X 5 32
P8 2 4 X 5 8
P14 4 2 X X 12 1
P9 5 2 X 2 29
P2 2 5 Projects are now
X X 2 22
P4 4 2 X 5 17
P7 4 5 ranked according to
X 8 16
P3 5 3
weighted score...
X 9 15
P5 3 3 X 6 10
P13 1 4 X 4 8
P1 1 5 X X 6 7
P6 1 2 X 3 6
P12 3 2 X 11 1
P10 1 3 X 9 -­‐3

22. Step #5: Vote projects off the island...

23. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost Score
Potential Need
P11 5 3 X X 5 32
P8 2 4 X 5 8
P14 4 2 X X 12 1
P9 5 2 X 2 29
P2 2 5 X X 2 22
P4 4 These are your “must do” X
2 5 17
P7 4 projects because someone’s
5 X 8 16
P3 5 3 X 9 15
P5 3 3 paying for them...
X 6 10
P13 1 4 X 4 8
P1 1 5 X X 6 7
P6 1 2 X 3 6
P12 3 2 X 11 1
P10 1 3 X 9 -­‐3

24. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost Score
Potential Need
P11 5 3 X X 5 32
P8 2 4 X 5 8
P14 4 2 X X 12 1
P9 5 2 X 2 29
P2 2 5 X X 2 22
P4 4 2 X 5 17
P7 4 5 X 8 16
P3 5 3 X 9 15
P5 3 3 X 6 10
P13 1 Draw a red line where
4 X 4 8
P1 1 5 your resources X
X run 6 7
P6 1 2 X 3 6
P12 3 2 out... X 11 1
P10 1 3 X 9 -­‐3

25. Sales Customer
Project Quality Architecture Performance Vision Strategy Funded Cost Score
Potential Need
P11 5 3 X X 5 32
P8 2 4 X 5 8
P14 4 2 X X 12 1
P9 5 2 X 2 29
P2 2 5 X X 2 22
P4 4 2 X 5 17
P7 4 5 X 8 16
P3 5 3 X 9 15
P5 3 3 X 6 10
P13 1 4 X 4 8
P1 1 Ask hard questions
5 X X 6 7
P6 1
about the projects
2 X 3 6
P12 3 2 X 11 1
P10 1 around the red line...
3 X 9 -­‐3

26. P4 4 2 X 5 17
P7 4 5 X 8 16
P3 5 3 X 9 15
P5 3 3 X 6 10
Is P7 really more important than P3?
How many resources are left after P7?
If there are 6 resources left, do we do
P5 or save the resources?

27. 1. Define your metrics
2. Determine project categories
3. Estimate the values & weight them
4. Score and rank the projects
5. Swing the axe (define the red line)

28. Tips:
Be as honest as possible with weights and values.
Be ruthless.
Consider an “Adjustment” column.
This process is good for large projects, not small
incremental improvements.

29. Thank you!
pm.ashleyeckhoff.com
“Swinging the axe”