Managing one AI product roadmap is hard. Managing ten simultaneously - across clinical trials, MedTech, BioPharma, and drug discovery - requires a system. Here's how I prioritize features across my portfolio at HCLTech.

The Modified RICE Framework

Standard RICE (Reach x Impact x Confidence / Effort) doesn't capture two dimensions critical in healthcare AI: regulatory risk and clinical impact. I add both as weighted multipliers.

My formula: (Reach x Impact x Confidence x Regulatory_Factor x Clinical_Factor) / Effort

Regulatory_Factor: 1.0 (no regulatory impact) to 0.3 (requires FDA submission). Higher regulatory burden reduces the score, forcing a higher bar for everything else. Clinical_Factor: 1.0 (no clinical impact) to 2.0 (direct patient outcome improvement). Direct clinical impact gets a boost.

Capacity Allocation: The 30/50/20 Rule

Across my portfolio, I allocate capacity as:

  • 30% Compliance and Security - non-negotiable. HIPAA, FDA, SOC2, penetration testing, audit preparation. This isn't optional work you can defer.
  • 50% Core Product - features that move the primary product metrics. New capabilities, performance improvements, integration expansions.
  • 20% Innovation - experimental features, new use cases, technology evaluation. This is where the next product comes from.

Cross-Product Prioritization

When managing 10 products, you can't treat each roadmap independently. Some features benefit multiple products (shared NLP pipeline, common auth system, unified monitoring). I maintain a "platform layer" roadmap that captures cross-cutting capabilities. A feature that benefits 3+ products gets a natural priority boost because the ROI multiplies.

Stakeholder Communication

With 10 products, you have 10x the stakeholders. I run monthly roadmap reviews organized by domain (clinical trials, MedTech, etc.) rather than by product. This lets stakeholders see the full picture and reduces duplicative requests across products.

Key Takeaways

  • Standard RICE underweights healthcare-specific dimensions. Add regulatory risk and clinical impact as explicit factors.
  • Allocate 30% to compliance as a non-negotiable baseline. Never trade compliance for feature velocity.
  • Identify cross-product platform investments. Shared infrastructure has multiplied ROI across a portfolio.
  • Organize stakeholder communication by domain, not product. Reduces duplicative requests and improves strategic alignment.
  • Review quarterly, adjust monthly, respond to regulatory changes immediately.