RICE score calculator

What is the RICE formula?

RICE score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) ÷ Effort. Reach is how many people the idea affects in a period, such as a quarter. Impact is how much it moves each of them, on a scale of 3 (massive), 2 (high), 1 (medium), 0.5 (low) and 0.25 (minimal). Confidence is how sure you are of the other numbers: 100%, 80% or 50%. Effort is the work it takes, in person-months.

How do I estimate reach?

Use real numbers where you have them: how many active users touch the part of the product the idea changes, or how many people asked for it. Votes on a feedback board are a direct count of the people who want an idea, which makes them a good starting point for reach.

When should I not trust the score?

RICE compares ideas; it doesn't decide for you. Ideas with very low confidence, strategic bets and fixes for serious bugs can deserve a different place than their score. Use the ranking to start the conversation, and adjust the inputs as you learn.

A worked example

Dark mode reaches 2,000 people a quarter, with medium impact (1), 80% confidence and 2 person-months of effort: 2,000 × 1 × 0.8 ÷ 2 = 800. CSV export reaches 500, with high impact (2), 100% confidence and half a person-month: 500 × 2 × 1 ÷ 0.5 = 2,000. CSV export goes first.

Questions

What does RICE stand for?

Reach, Impact, Confidence and Effort, the four inputs to the score.

What's a good RICE score?

There's no absolute good score. It only means something compared with the other ideas scored the same way, by the same team.