How to prioritize solutions
Overview
Once you've identified solutions in TheyDo, the next step is deciding which ones to pursue first. TheyDo gives you several ways to prioritize — from a quick rating system to fully custom scoring models — so you can work in a way that fits your team's process.
Before you start
- You'll need edit access to the relevant workspace.
- Custom Prioritization must be configured by an admin before it can be used.
Prioritization methods
DFV rating
The simplest built-in option. Each solution can be scored on three dimensions, each on a 0–5 scale:
- Desirability — how much do customers want this?
- Feasibility — can your team realistically build or deliver it?
- Viability — does it make business sense?
TheyDo calculates an average across the three scores, which you can use to compare and sort solutions.
To add a DFV rating:
- Open a solution to view it in the right sidebar.
- Click the number next to any rating field.
- Enter a value or drag the slider to set a score on the 0–5 scale.
- Repeat for each of the three dimensions.
Priority field
If you need a quicker way to triage, each solution also has a simple Priority label: High, Medium, or Low. This is useful for fast categorization when you don't need a full scoring model.
Custom prioritization scores
For more structured, repeatable prioritization across teams, you can set up custom scoring factors. This lets you model frameworks like:
- RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort)
- Value vs. Effort
- WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First)
Custom prioritization supports both input scores (individual factors) and computed scores (formulas that roll up into a single priority number). Once configured, these scores appear on every solution and can be used to sort and filter your solutions list.
Note: Custom Prioritization needs to be set up by an admin in workspace settings before your team can use it.
Matrix view
The matrix view plots your solutions on a 2D grid, with any two scores on the X and Y axes — for example, Feasibility vs. Desirability, or Effort vs. Value. Solutions in the top-right quadrant are typically your strongest candidates.
This is a helpful way to visually compare trade-offs across a large set of solutions at once.
Sorting and filtering solutions
In the solutions table view, you can sort by:
- DFV rating
- Custom prioritization scores
- Progress
- Last updated
Use filters to narrow down by priority label or score range, so you can focus on what matters most right now.
Tips
- Start simple. If you're just getting started, DFV ratings are the quickest way to get a sense of relative priority.
- Add structure over time. If your team needs consistent prioritization across quarters or product areas, Custom Prioritization is worth setting up.
- Use linkage as a sanity check. A high-scoring solution with few linked opportunities or goals might need more discovery before committing. Check which opportunities, goals, and journeys a solution connects to before finalizing your ranking.
- Combine methods. Many teams use Custom Prioritization for scoring, then use the Priority field (High/Medium/Low) to mark the solutions they've committed to acting on.