Prioritize a sprint backlog with MoSCoW

MoSCoW sorts items into four groups:

• Must have: without it the release fails or is unusable, legally or practically.
• Should have: important and painful to leave out, but there is a workaround.
• Could have: nice to have, included only if time allows.
• Won't have (this time): explicitly agreed to be out of scope for now.

For a sprint, I first confirm the Sprint Goal, then ask of each item: does the goal fail without it? Those are the Musts. I keep Musts to roughly half of the capacity so there is room for risk, and fill the rest with Shoulds and Coulds in order of value. I name the Won't items, so expectations are clear.

Example for a checkout sprint: pay by card and order confirmation are Must; saved addresses is Should; gift wrapping is Could; wish lists are Won't.

I re-check at mid-sprint, and if capacity drops, Coulds go first.