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The 100 Point Method is more than a scoring system, it’s a framework shaped by how people think, decide, and align. By capping everyone’s input at 100 points, it sharpens focus, surfaces genuine priorities, and avoids the usual traps of group bias. It works because it respects autonomy, invites contribution, and transforms prioritisation into a collective act of clarity. Product teams use it not just to choose what to build, but to build understanding along the way.
The 100 Point Method isn't just a framework for prioritising product features, it's a glimpse into how people weigh value, make trade-offs, and align on what matters. Beneath its surface lies a surprisingly thoughtful approach to decision-making, one that embraces the realities of group dynamics, limited resources, and the need for clarity.
At its core, the method is built on three key psychological truths: we think better when we're constrained, we engage more when we have agency, and we align faster when decisions are made transparently. By asking individuals to distribute a fixed number of points across competing options, it removes the noise of opinion and replaces it with structured intent.
In this piece, we’ll unpack why the 100 Point Method works so well in collaborative environments, not from a procedural standpoint, but from a human one.
⚠️ If you’re looking for a step-by-step breakdown of how to run a 100 Point Method workshop, check out our full how-to guide.
The concept is simple: every participant gets 100 points to allocate across a set of options, features, initiatives, or projects. They can divide them however they like. Some spread them evenly, others back one or two clear favourites. Once all the points are tallied, you’re left with a clear signal: a prioritised list that reflects the collective judgement of the group.
It’s deceptively straightforward. No endless debates. No loud voices winning out. Just structured input, made visual and actionable. And it works, not just because it’s democratic, but because it invites people to think more carefully about what really deserves their vote.
Want to go deeper? Check out our full guide!
The 100 Point Method is more than a prioritisation tool, it’s a psychological system in disguise. It works not just because of its structure, but because it harnesses how people make decisions under constraints, in groups, and with imperfect information.
Give someone unlimited choices and you’ll likely get vague answers. Limit them: to time, to budget, or in this case, to points and you’ll get something far more deliberate. The 100 Point Method’s fixed point system forces individuals to reckon with trade-offs. You can’t support everything. That scarcity sharpens focus.
When teams are faced with prioritisation without boundaries, everything risks being marked as important. Constraint, in this context, becomes a powerful design feature, not a limitation.
Most team decisions suffer from a handful of recurring cognitive biases and the 100 Point Method quietly works around many of them:
1️⃣ Anchoring Bias: People tend to rely heavily on the first idea or number they hear. The 100 Point Method neutralises this by allowing silent, asynchronous scoring before any group discussion.
2️⃣ Groupthink: In traditional settings, dominant voices can sway the entire team. By having each person submit scores independently, the method captures true individual sentiment.
3️⃣ Recency Bias: The last idea pitched often gets undue weight. This format levels the field, especially when all options are presented at once.
By sidestepping these psychological traps, the 100 Point Method produces a clearer reflection of what the team actually values, not just what’s trending in the room.
The concept of collective intelligence suggests that, under the right conditions, groups make better decisions than individuals. But there’s a catch: those conditions include independence and diversity of input.
The 100 Point Method provides both. Each participant scores privately (preserving independence), and each brings their own context and perspective to the process. The final tally isn’t just a popularity contest, it’s a synthesised signal of the group’s aligned priorities.
People commit more deeply to decisions when they understand how they were made. Even if their preferred idea doesn’t rise to the top, knowing that the process was open and fair makes a difference.
That’s why this method earns buy-in. It invites everyone in, gives them equal weight, and then shows them the outcome. There’s no backroom prioritisation, no mystery rankings. Just the logic of numbers, shaped by collective judgment.
Google’s own research into team performance (Project Aristotle) found that psychological safety was the single most important factor in effective teams. This method doesn’t just protect that safety; it helps cultivate it.
Perhaps most importantly, the method doesn’t end with a ranked list. It starts a conversation.
Once scores are revealed, Product Managers can lead a discussion around outliers, disagreements, and surprising alignments. Why did one feature score so high with engineering but low with design? Why did one team member allocate all their points to a single initiative?
These conversations are where the real value lies in surfacing assumptions, clarifying trade-offs, and refining the team’s shared understanding.
The beauty of the 100 Point Method lies in how it naturally aligns with the way product teams think, work, and collaborate. It’s not just a neat exercise! It solves real-world problems that Product Managers and cross-functional teams face every day.
Here’s why it consistently earns high praise from product teams across industries:
In fast-moving environments, teams often don’t have hours to spend in endless prioritisation debates. The 100 Point Method offers a structured way to gather input quickly without sacrificing thoughtfulness. It strikes that rare balance between speed and depth, helping Product Managers move forward without decision fatigue setting in.
In many meetings, louder voices or senior titles can dominate the conversation. This method levels the playing field. By giving each participant the same 100 points, it creates a shared sense of agency and makes it easier for quieter team members to contribute meaningfully. The result? Product decisions that feel inclusive, not imposed.
Whether you’re co-located or spread across time zones, the 100 Point Method adapts beautifully. It’s easy to implement asynchronously via tools like Google Sheets, Airtable, or prioritisation platforms. This flexibility makes it ideal for remote-first or hybrid teams that want clear, collaborative input without needing to be in the same room.
How often have you left a prioritisation meeting only to realise half the team still isn’t aligned? This method generates a tangible result that’s easy to visualise, discuss, and refine. It doesn’t just produce a ranked list, it creates a shared understanding of why things matter, and how trade-offs were made.
Perhaps most importantly for Product Managers, the 100 Point Method is replicable. You can use it for quarterly planning, sprint reviews, roadmap refinement, or even stakeholder alignment sessions. It creates a trail of decisions that’s easy to revisit, making it a great tool for building accountability and transparency over time.
At first glance, the 100 Point Method might seem like just another prioritisation tool, just a structured way to make decisions in the chaos of product development. However, when you look closer, it becomes clear that its true strength lies not just in the process, but in its understanding of people.
The method is rooted in psychological principles that reflect how teams actually think, behave, and collaborate. By introducing constraints, it forces clarity. By inviting equal participation, it builds trust. And by surfacing individual perspectives before the group aligns, it allows teams to move forward with confidence.
More than a scoring system, the 100 Point Method creates space for meaningful trade-offs and honest dialogue. It transforms prioritisation from a top-down decision into a shared act of discovery.
For Product Managers, that’s a powerful shift. When prioritisation frameworks acknowledge the psychology behind decision-making, they create stronger and more cohesive teams.
If you’re ready to explore how to bring the 100 Point Method into your next planning session, be sure to check out our full how-to guide.
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