Product AnalyticsvsFeature Prioritization (RICE/ICE)

Product analytics is the practice of measuring HOW users interact with your product to make better decisions. The core metric is DAU/MAU ratio (Daily Active Users ÷ Monthly Active Users), which measures 'stickiness' — how often users return. A 50%+ DAU/MAU means users open your product 15+ days per month (Facebook-like engagement). Most B2B SaaS lives at 15-25% DAU/MAU. Product analytics turns guesses into data: instead of 'users like feature X,' you know '34% of users use feature X, and those users have 60% lower churn.'

Feature prioritization is the discipline of deciding WHAT to build and in WHAT ORDER using a repeatable, data-driven framework instead of gut feeling or whoever shouts loudest. The RICE framework scores each feature on Reach (how many users), Impact (how much it moves the needle, 0.25-3x), Confidence (how sure you are, 0-100%), and Effort (person-months). RICE Score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) ÷ Effort. The ICE variant uses Impact, Confidence, and Ease (inverse of effort). Teams using structured prioritization ship 50% fewer 'wasted' features.

The vanity metrics trap kills product teams. Tracking total signups, page views, or 'registered users' tells you nothing about product health. Twitter had 1B+ registered accounts but only 330M MAU — 67% of accounts were dead. Another trap: measuring too many metrics. Teams that track 50+ metrics end up acting on none. The best product teams track 3-5 core metrics obsessively. Amplitude's data shows teams with fewer than 10 tracked events make decisions 3x faster than teams tracking 100+.

The biggest prioritization trap is the HiPPO problem — Highest Paid Person's Opinion wins. In organizations without a framework, 64% of features are prioritized by executive request rather than data. Another trap: overweighting 'Reach' and building for the majority while ignoring high-value power users. A feature used by 5% of users who generate 40% of revenue may score higher than a feature for 80% of users who are on free plans.

Set up a core event taxonomy with 5-8 key events that define your product's value delivery. For a SaaS tool: signup → activation (first 'aha' moment) → completed core action → returned within 7 days → invited team member → upgraded to paid. Track activation rate (% of signups who reach the 'aha' moment within 7 days) — this single metric predicts long-term retention better than any other. Target 40%+ activation rate.

Score every feature request with RICE before it enters your roadmap. Create a shared spreadsheet: Feature | Reach (users/quarter) | Impact (0.25-3x) | Confidence (%) | Effort (person-weeks) | RICE Score. Stack rank by score. Review the top 5 and bottom 5 — if any bottom-5 feature 'feels' wrong, challenge your scoring inputs. Commit to building only the top 3 RICE items per sprint.