How to rank functionality in a software release

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This week, I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel at the PMMSummit Toronto about how PMMs and PMs can work better together.

I shared a real example from a past team where we needed to get clearer on what we were building and why it mattered to filter out the noise. The challenge was simple: every release had a long list of features, but not every feature carried equal weight (like some PMs wished they would). We needed a way to see customer value and market impact at a glance.

So we built prioritization grid for each Tier 1 and Tier 2 release. 

Example of Release Functionality Ranking

For a Tier 1 and Tier 2 release, each major feature was plotted on a prioritization grid, guiding teams on where to focus their efforts. Follow-up slides for each major feature provided detailed insights including customer value, strategic value and functionality overview so that customer success, marcom, enablement, and sales engineering could execute consistently.  Small bug fixes could be shared directly in technical guides and/or through the impacted account(s) team.

At first, PMM and PM filled it out together — ranking functionality based on market relevance, customer value, and how it would land with sellers and buyers. That one shift changed the conversation. It helped the team prioritize, stay aligned, and move from talking about features to talking about impact. It also gave us consistent messaging across every stakeholder group.

The “release at a glance” view became a staple for us, with a detailed breakdown of each ranked item on the next slide.

And fun fact: this whole idea originally sparked from something I saw at PMA.

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