A visual 2x2 matrix or a four-factor score. Impact/Effort groups ideas into quadrants. RICE calculates a score for each idea.
Last updated: 2026-04-01
A 2x2 matrix that plots each item by how much value it creates and how hard it is to deliver. The four quadrants are quick wins, big bets, fill-ins, and thankless tasks.
Best for stakeholder workshops, early roadmap shaping, and any moment you need a decision in the next hour.
Created by Sean McBride at Intercom, RICE turns each item into a numeric score from Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. The output is an ordered list, top to bottom.
Best for teams that need to defend a priority order to leadership or other PM teams.
No formula. Place each item on the grid and discuss the quadrant.The output is a grouping, not a ranked list. The strength is the conversation about where each item belongs.
RICE = (Reach x Impact x Confidence%) / EffortUse the same Reach period across items. Impact uses a 0.25 to 3 scale; enter Confidence as a decimal, such as 0.8 for 80%. Effort is in person-months.
| Criteria | Impact/Effort | RICE |
|---|---|---|
| Output | Quadrant grouping | Numeric score, top-to-bottom rank |
| Inputs | Two axes: impact and effort | Four factors: Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort |
| Time per item | A quick initial placement, followed by discussion | Time to estimate and compare four factors |
| Backlog size | For example, 5 to 20 items in a workshop | Can score a larger backlog in stages |
| Best setting | Live workshop with stakeholders | Async scoring, document-driven |
| Tie-breaking | Discussion, not numbers | Scores can tie or differ by less than input uncertainty |
| Data needed | Rough estimates, gut calls | Reach data from analytics is helpful |
| Easy to communicate | Very high. Anyone reads the chart | Moderate. Score requires explanation |
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Use your own inputs to explore the calculations and compare results.
No. An Impact/Effort matrix may be enough when broad groupings answer the decision. Use RICE when reach and confidence need explicit treatment or you need a numeric comparison.
Yes. Review low-impact work before spending time on detailed scoring, but check mandatory work and dependencies before discarding it. Then use RICE where a more detailed comparison helps.
No. Reach is how many people the change affects. Impact is how much it helps each one. A checkout fix can have high Reach and high Impact; a feature for a small group can have high Impact and low Reach.
Define high and low before placing items. For example, a team might use more than two sprints as high effort and a projected improvement above 5% as high impact. Those are example thresholds, not general standards.
Yes. A matrix can support a workshop discussion; RICE can compare the candidates in more detail. Use both only when the second step adds information to the decision.