Effort Balancing and Tradeoffs

Use this guide after initial categorization.

Target Distribution

• Must: 50-60% effort
• Should: 20-30% effort
• Could: 10-20% effort
• Won't: explicit exclusions

Rebalance Rules

1. If Must > 60%, downgrade lowest-impact Must items.
2. If Could is empty, force explicit enhancement candidates.
3. If Won't is empty, add at least 3 deferred items.

Tradeoff Examples

• Move advanced analytics from Must to Should to protect launch date.
• Move custom theming from Should to Could when staffing drops.
• Move legacy export format from Could to Won't when demand is low.

Verification

Review the final mix with stakeholders and capture sign-off date.