Which of the following is a technique used with users or customers to validate understanding of the value and priority of features of a product?

The $100 test, also known as cumulative voting, is a collaborative prioritization technique used directly with stakeholders, such as users or customers. Participants are allocated a hypothetical budget (e.g., $100) and asked to distribute it among a list of features or initiatives. The amount of "money" they spend on each item directly reflects its perceived value and importance to them. This method provides a clear, quantitative way to rank features based on customer-defined value, making it an effective tool for validating understanding and establishing priorities.

B. Product roadmap: A product roadmap is a strategic artifact that communicates the product's vision and direction; it is the output of prioritization, not the technique used to validate it.

C. Value proposition canvas: This is a strategic tool used to ensure a product's features align with customer needs and jobs-to-be-done, but it doesn't prioritize a list of features.

D. Empathy map: An empathy map is a tool for building a deep understanding of user behaviors and feelings, which serves as an input for prioritization, not the prioritization activity itself.

1. International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). (2021). The Guide to Product Ownership Analysis. Section 4.4.2.3, Cumulative Voting (e.g., $100 Test). The guide states, "This technique is used to assess the priority of a set of items... Participants are given 100 points (or dollars) they can 'spend' on the items. The number of points allocated to an item indicates its importance."

2. Wiegers, K., & Beatty, J. (2013). Software Requirements (3rd ed.). Microsoft Press. Chapter 14, "Prioritizing Requirements," describes the 100-point method (cumulative voting) as a technique where "customers or other stakeholders get a certain number of points they can allocate among the proposed requirements," to gauge relative value.

3. Pichler, R. (2016). Strategize: Product Strategy and Product Roadmap Practices for the Digital Age. Pichler Associates. In discussions on prioritization, techniques like the $100 test are cited as methods for involving customers in value-based decision-making, distinct from creating the roadmap itself.