To prioritize features for a limited-time release, which method should you use?

• A. Pick features by alphabetical order.
• B. Release the most difficult features first.
• C. Use a scoring framework (impact, effort, risk, alignment).
• D. Let stakeholders decide without criteria.

Answer: (C)

When you have a limited-time release, you prioritize with a scoring framework that assesses impact, effort, risk, and alignment. This approach makes value and trade-offs concrete, so you can rank features by how much benefit they deliver relative to the cost and uncertainty of building them. Impact shows how much users or the business gain; effort accounts for the required time and resources; risk captures uncertainties and potential blockers; alignment ensures each feature supports the team’s goals and strategy. By scoring and weighting these factors, you can identify high-value, lower-effort features that fit within the time window, plan delivery more predictably, and justify decisions to stakeholders.

Choosing features in alphabetical order ignores value and urgency. Releasing the most difficult features first can stall progress and delay realizing any benefit. Letting stakeholders decide without criteria invites bias and inconsistency.