The MoSCoW Method: Your new favorite productivity hack

You’re juggling competing priorities with limited time and even less mental bandwidth. The demands keep coming, and it’s easy to feel that everything must happen now. But when everything feels urgent, seeing what matters is nearly impossible. 

That’s where the MoSCoW Method comes in — and no, it has nothing to do with Russia. This simple yet powerful framework helps you cut through the noise, clarify what’s essential, and make smarter decisions faster. 

What is the MoSCoW Method?

The MoSCoW Method is a prioritization technique that helps teams (and individuals) determine what matters when managing tasks or planning projects. It breaks tasks or requirements into four clear categories:

✅ Must have: Essential for success. If these don’t get done, the project fails.

🟡 Should have: Important, but not critical. They add significant value but aren’t deal-breakers.

🟢 Could have: Nice to have. If time and resources allow, you can include them.

❌ Won’t have (for now): Not a priority this time. Consciously deprioritize these to maintain focus.

The name "MoSCoW" comes from the first letters of each category. The additional Os are just there to make the acronym easier to remember and pronounce!

Originally developed as part of the Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), MoSCoW has become a popular tool in agile project management and product development.

Why the MoSCoW Method works

The MoSCoW Method is effective because it encourages clarity, trade-offs, and intentional focus. Instead of treating every task equally important, this method prompts teams to identify what does and doesn't matter. 

It creates clarity by giving everyone a shared understanding of what must be delivered and what can wait. It also introduces flexibility into your planning. If priorities shift or timelines change, you already know which items can be postponed without jeopardizing your success.

And finally, it helps manage scope. By identifying what won’t be done — at least for now — you prevent scope creep from derailing progress.

The MoSCoW Method in practice

To start using the MoSCoW Method, start by defining the goal or objective of your project. Be specific with what you want to achieve.

Next, list out everything that could be part of the project. This includes tasks, features, meetings, deliverables — anything you’re considering.

Then, categorize the items using the MoSCoW framework. Identify which tasks are essential and label them as "Must haves." The important items that are not essential should be marked as "Should haves." If something would be nice to include but isn’t necessary, it belongs in the "Could have" category. And finally, anything that doesn’t fit your current scope or timeline should be placed under "Won’t have (for now)."

Once categorized, bring your team or stakeholders into the conversation. Make sure everyone agrees on the priorities as alignment leads to a smooth execution. Finally, remember that priorities can change. Revisit your list every now and then and adjust as needed to keep your goals and reality aligned.

Real-world use cases

The beauty of the MoSCoW Method is that you can apply it to nearly any scenario where prioritization is needed.

For product teams, it’s a powerful way to structure a product roadmap by ensuring that essential features are delivered first. In agile sprints, MoSCoW helps developers and product managers agree on which stories to prioritize.

For teams managing their schedules, MoSCoW is just as useful. You can use it to determine which meetings are essential, which ones are helpful but not urgent, and which ones can be postponed or skipped entirely.

It also works well for event planning, allowing teams to focus on the most impactful elements and avoid being sidetracked by nice-to-haves. Even freelancers or solopreneurs can benefit by using MoSCoW to balance client demands with personal capacity and deadlines.

Mistakes that make this method ineffective

While the MoSCoW Method is straightforward, it can be applied it in the wrong way. For example, if you classify too many tasks as “must haves” then nothing is truly a priority. Be strict — the Must category should be reserved for tasks that would cause failure if missed.

Another trap is skipping the alignment step. If the team doesn’t agree with the priorities, the framework loses its power to reduce conflict.It’s also important not to neglect the “Won’t have” category. Clearly identifying what will not be addressed right now is just as valuable as choosing what to prioritize. Lastly, don’t treat MoSCoW as a one-time exercise. Projects evolve, and your MoSCoW list should evolve with them. Revisit and update it regularly to stay on track.

Bringing MoSCoW into your scheduling workflow

At Doodle, we believe that better prioritization leads to better collaboration — and it all starts with how you manage your time. Doodle is an online scheduling tool that cuts the back-and-forth when booking meetings. 

Whether you're coordinating with a large team, clients, or external partners, Doodle helps you find the best time to meet by letting participants vote on available time slots or instantly book based on your real-time availability.

When used alongside the MoSCoW Method, Doodle becomes even more powerful. Once you’ve identified your “Must have” conversations or project check-ins, Doodle can help you get those on the calendar quickly — without endless email chains. 

Meetings that fall into the “Should have” or “Could have” categories can be scheduled later or shared as flexible booking options. And the “Won’t have” items? You can confidently skip scheduling those altogether, knowing they’re not a current priority.