Oliver Newth

ICE

A framework for prioritizing ideas based on Impact, Confidence, and Ease

· 2 min read · budding

ICE Scoring is a simple framework used to prioritize ideas and projects based on their potential impact, confidence in success, and ease of implementation.

Components

  • Impact: Potential effect on goals and user benefit
  • Confidence: Certainty in estimates based on data and experience
  • Ease: Implementation simplicity and resource requirements

Calculation

ICE Score = (Impact × Confidence × Ease) / 3

Usage

Used for prioritizing ideas and projects when resources are limited. Helps teams make data-driven decisions about what to build next.

A worksheet maps Impact to business effects, Confidence to research and past tests, and Ease to the smallest credible test and delivery estimate. Comparable estimates create a shortlist for discussion, not a guarantee of outcomes.
Conceptual evidence worksheet for ICE’s three judgments. It illustrates what should inform scores and does not validate a particular aggregation formula or imply forecast accuracy. Original diagram based on Sean Ellis and Ethan Garr, Prioritizing High Impact Growth Experiments with ICE.

Best Practices

  • Use consistent criteria
  • Regularly review scores
  • Adjust based on feedback

Examples and Applications

  • Feature Prioritization: Score potential features for development
  • Growth Experiments: Rank testing ideas by expected ROI
  • Resource Allocation: Decide where to invest limited resources
  • See also: GAME, Kano, Frameworks

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