The Prioritization Razor: If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no

One of the secrets to make better product decisions:

“If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.”

Prioritization is one of the most important skills in product management. There are always more ideas than resources, more problems than solutions, more features than benefits.

How do you decide what to work on next?

There are many frameworks and tools for prioritization, such as RICE, MoSCoW, Kano model, etc. But they all boil down to one simple principle: if it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.

What does this mean?

It means that you should only work on things that have a strong positive impact on your product goals and metrics, and that are aligned with your product vision and strategy. Anything else is a distraction, a waste of time and energy, or worse, a source of confusion and frustration for your users and stakeholders.

How do you know if something is a clear yes?

You need to have clear criteria for evaluating your ideas and opportunities. You need to have data and evidence to support your assumptions and hypotheses. You need to have feedback and validation from your users and customers. You need to have alignment and buy-in from your team and organization.

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If you don’t have these things, then you don’t have a clear yes. You have a maybe, a possibly, a hopefully. And those are not good enough for making product decisions.

The beauty of this principle is that it simplifies your decision making process. It forces you to be ruthless and focus on what matters the most. It helps you avoid analysis paralysis and decision fatigue. It empowers you to say no to things that are not essential or valuable.

Of course, saying no is not easy.

It can be hard to let go of your pet projects, your nice-to-haves, your shiny objects. It can be challenging to communicate your rationale and reasoning to others who may have different opinions or expectations. It can be risky to reject or defer requests from powerful or influential stakeholders.

But saying no is necessary.

It is the only way to say yes to the things that really matter. It is the only way to deliver products that solve real problems, create real value, and make real impact.

So next time you are faced with a prioritization dilemma, ask yourself: is it a clear yes? If not, then it’s a clear no.