In this post, I break down why most prioritization frameworks fail in practice. Using a first-principles approach, I explain how prioritization actually happens in layers—from vision and strategy down to backlog decisions—and why the real problem is often happening higher up the stack.

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Most teams misdiagnose their prioritization problems as backlog issues when the real problem is higher up the stack. Prioritization actually happens in layers — from product vision and strategy down through outcomes, opportunities, and finally backlog items. Frameworks like RICE and WSJF fail not because they're bad tools, but because they're applied at the wrong level (a 200-item backlog) without the strategic context above them. The practical fix is to move up a layer whenever prioritization feels stuck — resolving strategic questions like which customer segment to target before trying to compare individual features. When upper layers are resolved, the backlog practically prioritizes itself.

Prioritization Happens In Layers — Ant Murphy

<p>It’s so easy to fall to the solutions level discussion, and it’s so dangerous because it shifts the discussion. Especially with AI now that “everything” is possible now, you’re just thousands tokens away. This is a good reminder that solutions is the last layer of the pyramid</p>
