On a new project, it’s easy to get rolled over by the tsunami of requests and requirements coming your way. Priority is becomes a game of “what isn’t a 1”?
A simple way to approach this with your team is to start with three buckets;
Have, Need, Want.
Any requirement discussed has to go into one of those buckets, there is no fourth bucket.
Each bucket is represented as follows;
Have – we can’t go out the door or show previews to our customers without these features.
Need – These are very important if not there, it won’t be great. They add value to the project.
Want – These are the polish, these are the things that will make the project beautiful and pristine like we know what we are doing.
Further translated – Haves are your MVP (Minimum Viable Product), Needs are what will satisfy a larger audience, Wants are the icing on the cake that will get people talking.
You need a mix of each in every project (it’s not all 1s, 2s and 3s) if you want to hit all those points (and you do want to hit those points).
