Randy Stapilus, the editor and publisher of the Idaho Weekly Briefing and author of four earlier lists of influential Idahoans, has based this one on levels of overall influence in the state - and freedom of action and ability to influence development of the state - as of the start of 2015. The list was compiled chiefly in December 2014 and relied on input from a wide variety of publicly-involved Idahoans from the state.

Stapilus noted that the list is not an "honor roll" as such, but rather an assessment of impact and effectiveness, leaving aside the question of how positive the impact may have been.

He compiled four lists from 1998 to 2001, as a part of Idaho reference books published during those years. The new book, 100 Influential Idahoans 2015, is a 200-page book unto itself, with entries for each of the 100 (a few of which are double entries) and discussions of their effectiveness in the state. In 2003 he assembled a merged list of 50 influential Idahoans drawn from the higher-ranked and most-frequently mentioned people on the earlier lists; 17 of them appear on the new list of 100.