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ICE Scoring for Initiatives

Score each initiative Impact x Confidence x Ease (1-10 each), execute by score order.

30 min Intermediate

Goal

End emotional debate over "which initiative matters most" with a computable number whose assumptions can be discussed.

Steps

  1. 1
    Gather 6-12 proposed initiatives from your team.
6 more steps locked

Expected Outcome

Immediate
You discover an initiative "everyone thought was top" actually scored low due to weak Confidence.

Evidence base

School: Growth Hacking / Lean Startup

Founders: Sean Ellis · Hiten Shah (2010)

Coined by Sean Ellis to score growth experiments; used at GrowthHackers, Dropbox, then adopted broadly in product.

Keywords

Frequently asked questions

How long does "ICE Scoring for Initiatives" take?
This exercise takes about 30 minutes, practiced with another person in a Behavioral format.
When will I notice the effect of "ICE Scoring for Initiatives"?
You discover an initiative "everyone thought was top" actually scored low due to weak Confidence. In the short term: Within a quarter, the team shares a language: "what's the ICE?" replaces "I feel...".
Is "ICE Scoring for Initiatives" evidence-based?
Yes — it draws on Growth Hacking / Lean Startup (Sean Ellis, Hiten Shah (2010)). Coined by Sean Ellis to score growth experiments; used at GrowthHackers, Dropbox, then adopted broadly in product.
Is "ICE Scoring for Initiatives" suitable for beginners?
Its difficulty level is: Intermediate. No external tools required — it can be practiced directly inside the app.

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