What is ICE Score?

ICE Score is a simple prioritization framework: rate each feature idea on Impact (how much will it move the needle?), Confidence (how sure are we?), and Ease (how easy to build?), each on a scale of 1-10. Multiply them: ICE = Impact × Confidence × Ease. Highest score wins. It forces you to think beyond "this sounds cool" and consider effort and certainty. Quick to use, less rigorous than RICE.

When Should You Use This?

Use ICE scoring when you have too many feature ideas and need to prioritize, when debating roadmap with your team, or when you want a lightweight framework (no need to estimate users reached like RICE). Best for small teams moving fast. Update scores as you learn—Confidence changes after user interviews, Ease changes after technical spikes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• •Scoring in isolation—get team input, PM + eng + design together
• •Ignoring Confidence—high impact × low confidence = risky bet
• •Not revisiting scores—update after learning more or shipping similar features
• •Gaming the system—don't inflate scores to push your pet feature
• •Forgetting strategic bets—not everything is about ICE, some features are strategic

Real-World Examples

• •High ICE (9×9×8=648)—Simple pricing page redesign: huge impact, confident it works, easy to ship
• •Medium ICE (8×5×6=240)—AI-powered search: high impact, medium confidence, moderate effort
• •Low ICE (9×3×2=54)—Blockchain integration: sounds cool (high impact?), low confidence, very hard
• •Strategic exception—2FA has low ICE but required for enterprise, ship it anyway