If you’ve spent time on a product team, you’ve likely seen some version of a prioritization framework: a structured way to assign value to a list of potential projects. These systems tend to follow a formula: evaluate each idea based on a set of metrics (impact, reach, effort, etc.), assign scores, and rank accordingly. In theory, it’s logical and objective. In practice, it often feels mechanical—and more than a little disconnected from how people actually make decisions.

Here’s the truth: no matter how sophisticated your framework is, it’s trying to do the impossible. It’s asking a team to predict the future before they’ve even explored the present.

Why we need to rethink prioritization

The problem with traditional prioritization frameworks isn’t the intent—they’re designed to help teams focus—but the assumptions. These systems assume that the team can make accurate guesses about an idea’s reach or impact, often months before launch. Worse, they pretend those guesses are objective when, in reality, they’re just speculation dressed up as data.

And then there’s the game-playing. Teams inevitably overinflate the metrics of the ideas they want to pursue and downplay the ones they don’t. It’s human nature. But it highlights a deeper flaw: we’re not actually working on the ideas that energize us—we’re working on the ones that “win” a scoring contest.

What really drives great work

Here’s a different way to think about early prioritization: forget the spreadsheets, the scores, and the faux precision. Start with something simpler: how much energy does this idea generate within the team?

Enthusiasm is an underrated but essential ingredient in the success of any project. The best ideas—the ones that make a real impact—don’t just score well on a framework. They ignite something in the people who are going to bring them to life.

When a team feels genuine excitement about tackling a problem, that energy fuels everything: the creativity to find solutions, the determination to push through obstacles, the willingness to do the hard work. Without that excitement, even the most “high-impact” project is just a grind.

The conversation we should be having

Instead of starting with metrics, start with a conversation:

• What excites us about this idea?

• Why does it feel worth doing?

• Does this idea connect to something meaningful—whether for our customers, the business, or the team?

This isn’t about blindly following gut feelings. It’s about acknowledging them, discussing them, and letting them guide the early exploration of an idea. When people verbalize why they’re drawn to something—or why they aren’t—it surfaces valuable insights.

For example, if the team is excited about an idea because it solves a specific customer problem, that’s a strong signal of alignment. On the other hand, if the excitement comes from solving a purely technical challenge, it’s worth asking whether that effort will pay off in the customer experience. Either way, the conversation moves the team closer to clarity, not by forcing precision, but by inviting reflection.

Enthusiasm is a better compass

Starting with energy isn’t just a feel-good exercise—it’s a practical one. Enthusiasm is one of the few things a team can assess honestly, without speculation. Unlike metrics, which are guesses about the future, enthusiasm is real in the moment. It’s a reflection of how the team feels right now about the work ahead.

And that matters. Because no matter how objectively “valuable” an idea looks on paper, if the team isn’t excited about it, the execution will suffer. The best work happens when people care—not when they’re simply following orders.

Let go of the pretense

There’s a lot of pressure in business to make decisions that feel data-driven, objective, and precise. But early in the process, those qualities are an illusion. Instead of pretending we can predict the future, why not focus on what we know for sure?

We know how we feel about an idea. We know when something sparks curiosity or excitement. And we know that the energy of the people doing the work is often the biggest factor in whether a project succeeds.

So, let’s start there. Skip the scoring systems and spreadsheets. Gather your team, talk about the ideas on the table, and ask the simplest, most honest question: What excites us the most?

That’s where the best ideas begin.