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Mobius
Intermediate

What is RICE

Full name: Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort

Also known as: RICE framework, RICE scoring

Definition

RICE is a way to rank ideas by scoring each on Reach, Impact, Confidence and Effort, so you compare several options on one scale before choosing.

Why it matters

RICE makes the guesses behind a choice visible and comparable.

Common mistakes

Raising the Confidence of a favourite idea so it lands on top.

Related terms

Worked exampleIllustration

Three ideas, one quarter

Illustrative: a fictional cosmetics clinic that takes bookings on WhatsApp, no real business. It can do one project this quarter. Effort is counted in days, so no prices are needed.

  1. A

    A WhatsApp Business auto reply with the booking link. Reach 120 enquiries (40 a month), Impact 1, Confidence 80%, Effort 1 day.

    120 × 1 × 0.8 ÷ 1 = 96

  2. B

    A new website. Reach 400 visitors, Impact 2, Confidence 50%, Effort 20 days.

    400 × 2 × 0.5 ÷ 20 = 20

  3. C

    A Meta ad test. Reach 1,000 people, Impact 0.5, Confidence 50%, Effort 5 days.

    1,000 × 0.5 × 0.5 ÷ 5 = 50

  4. Order

    A first, then C, then B.

    96, 50, 20

The biggest idea came last, because it costs the most days and you are only half sure of it.

Illustration

Three ideas, ranked live

  1. 1.A: Auto reply with the booking link96
  2. 2.C: A Meta ad test50
  3. 3.B: A new website20

Order now: A, C, B. A goes to the top of the backlog.

120 × 1 × 0.8 ÷ 1 = 96

Impact uses the scale 3, 2, 1, 0.5 and 0.25, and Confidence 100%, 80% and 50%, as in Sean McBride's RICE post on the Intercom blog. Effort is in days, so no prices are needed.

Illustrative: a fictional clinic can do one project this quarter. Pick an idea, move its four sliders and watch the order change.

Definition

RICE is a scoring method for choosing between ideas, described by Sean McBride at Intercom. Each idea gets four estimates. Reach: how many people it touches in a set period, such as enquiries per quarter. Impact: how much it moves each of them, on a scale of 3 for massive, 2 for high, 1 for medium, 0.5 for low and 0.25 for minimal. Confidence: how sure you are of the other numbers, 100% for high, 80% for medium, 50% for low. Effort: the work it takes, in person months in the original or in your own working days. The score is Reach times Impact times Confidence, divided by Effort. A lighter cousin, ICE (Impact, Confidence, Ease), is usually credited to Sean Ellis.

Why it matters

Without it, the idea that sounds biggest or the person who talks loudest usually wins. With it, a small, sure and quick idea can beat a big, uncertain and slow one, and you can see why. The scores are still estimates, so the ranking starts a discussion rather than ending it. It works as long as every idea on your list uses the same units.

Directly related: Backlog, Product Roadmap, North Star Metric.

Formula

RICE Score = (Reach * Impact * Confidence) / Effort

Improvement tips

  • Use the original scales: Impact 3, 2, 1, 0.5 or 0.25, Confidence 100%, 80% or 50%.
  • Count Reach as customers or enquiries touched per quarter, and Effort in your own working days, the same units for every idea.
  • Score all your ideas in one sitting, then sort by score and argue only about the top three.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing units, such as Reach per month for one idea and per quarter for another.
  • Treating the score as the decision instead of a guide to the discussion.

Related terms

ProductBeginner

Backlog

A backlog is the one ordered list of everything a product might get next, with the top items small and ready and the bottom items still rough ideas.

ProductIntermediate

Product Roadmap

A product roadmap is a one page plan of the problems a product will solve next and why, clear for now and deliberately fuzzier for later.

ProductIntermediate

North Star Metric

A North Star Metric is the one number that best counts the value customers get from your product, chosen so that growing it grows the business too.

Project ManagementBeginner

Scrum

Scrum is a lightweight framework in which a small team works in sprints of one month or less, meets for 15 minutes a day and shows a working result each sprint.

Quick check

Idea A has Reach 120, Impact 1, Confidence 80% and Effort of 1 day. What is its RICE score?

Choose an answer

Frequently asked questions

Do I need RICE before I start my business?
No. It helps once several ideas compete for the same time or money. Before that, one clear priority is enough.
When does RICE first become useful?
When your list of ideas is longer than what you can do this quarter and the choice keeps turning into an argument. Scoring puts the argument on paper.
How do I calculate a RICE score?
Multiply Reach by Impact and by Confidence, then divide by Effort. For example, 120 enquiries × 1 × 0.8 ÷ 1 day = 96. A spreadsheet with four columns and one formula is enough.
Can a business owner use RICE alone?
Yes. Score your own list of ideas, sort by score, and check whether the top of the list still makes sense to you. If it does not, look at which estimate you doubt.
Why does RICE matter for a business already running?
A running business always has more ideas than time. RICE shows why one idea goes first, which helps when a partner, an employee or an agency pushes for another.
What goes wrong without a way to rank ideas?
The biggest or newest idea wins, even when it is slow and uncertain, while small sure wins wait. Months go into a project that touches few customers.
How do I start using RICE without stopping work?
Take the five ideas you talk about most, give each one the four estimates and sort them. Use the order for your next decision and see whether it holds.
How do I keep RICE scores honest?
Score all ideas in one sitting, in the same units, and ask someone else to challenge the Confidence and Effort numbers. Write down why each score is what it is.
What does RICE mean in plain words?
Four questions about each idea: how many people it reaches, how much it helps each of them, how sure you are, and how much work it takes. The score puts them into one number.
What scale does Impact use?
In Sean McBride's original at Intercom, Impact is 3 for massive, 2 for high, 1 for medium, 0.5 for low and 0.25 for minimal. Confidence is 100% for high, 80% for medium and 50% for low.
Is RICE the same as ICE?
No. ICE, usually credited to Sean Ellis, scores Impact, Confidence and Ease and leaves Reach out. It is quicker, while RICE separates how many people an idea touches from how much it helps each of them.
What is the difference between Impact and Confidence?
Impact is how much the idea helps each person it reaches. Confidence is how sure you are about all your estimates together: Reach, Impact and Effort.

Sources: Sean McBride, "RICE: Simple prioritization for product managers" (Intercom blog)

Last reviewed: 2026-09-24

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Anna, Beautician

Anna

Beautician

After I finished a cosmetology course at a leading company, I was confused. I didn't know how to open a business, what to sell from home, or how to bring in clients. Since I reached out to Mobius, everything has changed. We built an organized plan with clear steps and no unnecessary risks. Today I see results, and I'm growing and developing every month.

Mark, Massage therapist, Gan Yavne

Mark

Massage therapist, Gan Yavne

When I finished a massage course, I imagined a different world. I found out it's a hard field, and financial stability isn't easy to find. When I came to Mobius, something changed. We started an organized process and built a business plan. Without Mobius? I probably would have given up. Today I believe in myself and in my own path.

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