A major challenge that faces every software product is determining the priority of the oh-so-many suggestions that come to Product Management as requirements for the next release. This is one of those areas that wind up containing a heavy dose of mystery masquerading as rocket science. Requirements get prioritized using a complex formula that is far from formulaic.

The path to well prioritized requirements may be narrow, but it’s not straight by any means.

One thing that even the most consistent and systematic Product Manager faces is the need to adjust his or her method of setting priorities to each individual company. Each company has different technical and business drivers. And each product has its own Development team with its own mindset. You must customize your methods to fit the thinking and personality of the Development managers and other management team members.

Read on for some ideas to consider when blazing your own trail to prioritizing requirements.