Before you start
Every new account comes with two read-only demo projects, one Weighted and one Direct, so you can look at finished outputs before entering anything. They cannot be edited; create your own project to work. Click New project in the sidebar to open the wizard. It takes a minute. Every answer except the planning mode can be changed later in Project Settings.The wizard, step by step
1
What are you prioritizing?
Three options: Market-facing product, Internal tool or platform, or Program or portfolio. The choice sets the default vocabulary (Needs and Features, Objectives and Initiatives, or Objectives and Programs) and the wording of the steps that follow. It does not change how the math works.
2
How are priorities decided?
Pick I balance input from multiple stakeholders for Weighted planning, or I make the calls based on my own judgment for Direct planning. This is the one answer you cannot change later. See Planning modes.
3
Roadmap scenarios or budget allocation? (Weighted only)
Two independent opt-ins, both off by default. Roadmap scenarios asks for a capacity per planning period and an effort unit, hours or points. Budget allocation asks for a total in hours, money or both, with a currency beside the money total (a label only, never a conversion). With the roadmap in hours, the allocation hours follow the capacity unless you type a different number. Skip this step and both outputs stay locked until you set the values in Project Settings.
4
Strategic context
A strategic goal (“Why are you prioritizing this?”, worded for the project type) and an optional success signal (“How will you know it worked?”), each up to 280 characters. Both are quoted at the top of the Decision Report and given to the AI so its brief speaks to your goal rather than a generic one. Worth a real sentence each.
5
Which product, or which review series?
Projects are grouped in folders: a product, an initiative or a recurring portfolio review series. A folder holds successive planning cycles of the same thing. Pick an existing folder, create one, or Skip for now and file the project later from the sidebar.
6
Vocabulary
Confirm the preset chosen in step 1, pick another, or define your own labels. See Vocabulary.
7
Name
Name the cycle, for example “Q3 2027 Roadmap” or “FY27 Engineering Investment”, and add an optional description of up to 500 characters.
8
How does your team plan? (Direct only)
The effort unit, the capacity, the roadmap length (quarterly, biannual or annual), the optimization strategy and the priority values, 5 for must, 3 for should and 1 for could unless you change them. Weighted projects set capacity and effort unit in step 3 instead.
The Home tab
A new project opens on Home, which always shows the next step in the main column and the project’s context in the side column. Early on it lists the setup path with a Start by adding needs button and a Let AI set it up alternative that opens the assistant with a prompt to propose needs, stakeholders and a first pass at the rest. As inputs arrive, Home switches to naming what is still missing before the outputs unlock, and once everything is in place it becomes a launcher for Analysis, Roadmap, Allocation and the Decision Report.The output gate
Analysis, Roadmap, Allocation and the Decision Report stay locked until the setup is complete. For a Weighted project that means:- at least one need, one stakeholder and one feature
- stakeholder weights that total 100
- every feature linked to at least one need on Coverage
- at least one answer, a rating or an abstention, on every need that a feature links to