Quick answer: When every bug claims to be priority one, none of them are. A scoring system (severity, frequency, blast radius, fix cost) breaks the tie.

Priority one means urgent. Urgent for everyone means urgent for no one.

Severity (1-5)

How bad when it happens. Sev-5 = data loss. Sev-1 = minor visual.

Frequency

How often. Per-session = high; per-month = low.

Blast radius

How many players. 100%; 10%; 1%. Multiplier on severity.

Fix cost

Engineering hours. Cheap+impactful = priority. Expensive+marginal = backlog.

“Priorities need math. Math beats opinions.”

Establish a scoring formula; calibrate quarterly. The formula evolves with the team; the discipline persists.

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