You have a backlog of 20 features for a new mobile app.

Guidance

You have a backlog of 20 features for a new mobile app.

How do you decide what to build first?

Product Execution

The Prioritization Playbook

Prioritization is not simply ranking a list of good ideas; it is the ruthless art of saying "no" to good ideas so you can commit resources to the great ones that align with your current strategic goal.

Step 1

Clarify the Current Business Objective

You cannot prioritize a backlog of 20 features in a vacuum. Ask the interviewer: "What is the most pressing goal right now?" Prioritizing for survival/retention (fixing bugs, lowering latency) looks entirely different from prioritizing for growth/acquisition (referral programs, viral loops) or profitability (paywalls, monetization features).

Step 2

The Ruthless Cull (Elimination Phase)

Step 3

Evaluate ROI (Impact vs. Effort / RICE)

Step 4

Map Technical Dependencies & Sequencing

Step 5

Define the MVP and Cut Scope

Additional Tips

Balance Product vs. Tech Debt: Show maturity by allocating a percentage of capacity (e.g., 20%) to engineering health. Features drive revenue, but ignoring tech debt causes systemic collapse and high latency.
Use Cost of Delay: Frame your argument around "What happens if we don't build this now?" If a competitor is stealing market share, the Cost of Delay for a defensive feature is critically high, instantly bumping its priority.
Don't just list frameworks: Interviewers are tired of candidates robotically explaining RICE or MoSCoW. Use the frameworks to guide your thinking, but articulate the business rationale behind your final choice.

You have a backlog of 20 features for a new mobile app.

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