The MoSCoW method was developed by Dai Clegg, a specialist in data modelling who was working as a consultant at Oracle. The acronym is derived from the first letter of each of the four prioritization categories, with interstitial O’s added to make the word pronounceable.
Must. These are the non-negotiable requirements, to tackle as soon as possible. For instance, this category could include crucial features for a minimum viable product, or preparation you must absolutely undertake before a client meeting. These requirements are considered critical for the project to be successful.
Should. This category includes important requirements that are not as critical, and that can potentially wait until another work session. Working on these would improve the project’s chances of success, but is not essential.
Could. This is where you can include all the “nice to have” potential requirements which are desirable but can be safely ignored in case of lack of time and resources.
Won’t. Anything in this category can be removed from your task list. These potential requirements are either not appropriate to tackle at this time, or not aligned at all with your overall goals.
While the MoSCoW method is incredibly simple to explain, it does come with a few limitations. But once you apply some caveats and combine it with other productivity methods, it does shine as a quick way to tackle a long task list.
