You don't need a prioritisation framework
I hate prioritisation frameworks.
Ok, that's probably a bit strong. I dislike prioritisation frameworks.
Or, rather, I dislike what they represent.
If you research 'prioritisation framework' online, you'll find endless resources. They usually all revolve around some sort of scoring system (1-5), a weighting algorithm (???), and a quick final step to order your list in descending order and voila:
Magic!
In real life, I'm sorry to say this is mostly BS.
Here's why.
You need a strategy
If you're struggling to prioritise tasks, chances are you're missing a strategy. A good strategy.
A good strategy should help you almost immediately assess the viability and importance of a feature. If you can't consistently do this, your strategy is too vague (or lacking).
90% of prioritisation comes down to whether a feature contributes to your strategy or not. That's it. Most of the time, that is all you need.
I find myself repeating this over and over again: a good product strategy works as a set of filters.
It should enable you (and anyone on the team) to prioritise. If they can't, you either have a strategy problem (or a communication problem).
I can disgruntled readers groan at the back. Let's look at some of the typical questions around this.
"What if I have to prioritise between multiple features that all align perfectly with my strategy?"
First of all, I don't believe you.
I am quite certain at least one of those features aligns with your strategy more than the others. You probably need to dig further.
Have you explored the financial impact of each feature?
Your product is meant to deliver value to the business, aka revenue. Which of these 'equal' features will bring more revenue?
Using a tool like Productboard, you can slice and dice your customer base by size, revenue, firmographics, and more. Then, you can identify the feature most requested by your most profitable segment.
I'm certain doing this will give you a clear direction.
"What if I don't have a strategy?"
Easy: create one.
"What if we have a strategy but we don't agree on the priorities?"
You have two options.
Option one is to rework your strategy. It might not be clear enough. Start from scratch, make sure the entire team understands it, and workshop the prioritisation again. If after that you're still not aligned...
Option two is to make a decision. Any decision is better than no decision. When in doubt, go with the HiPPO. It sucks but it's better than no decision.
"What if the feature doesn't align with our strategy but my CEO requested it?"
Tell your CEO to do one. You are the boss. You are the CEO of the product. He's just the CEO. Pfft.
Just kidding, of course.
Look, ideally, you'd gently massage your CEO's brain to make them understand their mistake. You'd walk them through the strategy. You'd show them the data (use the segmentation data above).
Their mistake will immediately be clear to them. They'll see you for the product genius that you are. Here's a raise. They might even step down and give you their job: you deserve it.
Again, just kidding.
The reality is you might have to take it on the chin. They're the boss. Express your opinion but get on with it. It is what it is.
"What if I have no customer?"
Having no customer shouldn't directly impact your ability to prioritise. You should still have a strategy, even without customers.
But I hear ya.
If by 'we have no customer' you mean 'we're super early, we don't know what we're doing, we don't even have a strategy', I'll tell you the dirty little secret: it's fine to guess.
Grab a whiteboard, lay out your ideas, and MoSCoW this bad boy. RICE it all up in there. It's all good. You need to start somewhere.
Pick one and get to work.
Use what you learn to work on your strategy. This will be the true unlock for all future decisions.