Ad Hoc Prioritization
Ad hoc prioritization is an informal, on-the-fly approach to ranking tasks, features, or issues based on immediate needs, urgency, or stakeholder input, without relying on a structured framework. It involves making quick decisions to address pressing concerns, often in dynamic or fast-paced environments like startups or crisis situations. This method is flexible but can lead to inconsistency and lack of long-term strategic alignment if overused.
Developers should use ad hoc prioritization when dealing with urgent bugs, unexpected customer issues, or rapid prototyping where speed is critical and formal processes would slow progress. It's useful in agile or lean contexts for handling immediate feedback or pivoting quickly, but should be balanced with more systematic methods like MoSCoW or RICE to ensure sustainable project management and avoid technical debt.