The MoSCoW Matrix

In fast moving environments, especially startups, I have seen teams rehashing the same "what are the priority features?" conversations quite a lot, resulting in confusion, stakeholders getting frustrated, and execution stalling.

In these situations, the MoSCoW Matrix cuts through the noise by categorizing features:

Must have – Non-negotiable for success
Should have – Important but not deal-breakers
Could have – Nice additions if time/resources allow
Won't have – Explicitly out of scope (for now)

It's visual, digestible, and forces honest trade-off conversations that dense requirement documents never capture.

Swipe through for a high-level overview of what the MoSCoW Matrix is →