Guide
Set up a simple project management system
Get everything out of your head and your DMs, and into one place everyone can see.
Pick one tool, and only one
Trello, Asana, or Notion all work fine for a small team. The specific tool matters far less than everyone actually using the same one instead of a mix of texts, emails, and sticky notes.
Create three lists: To Do, In Progress, Done
Resist the urge to build an elaborate system on day one. Three columns is enough to see what's happening at a glance. Add complexity later only if you actually need it.
Write tasks as actions, not topics
'Website' tells you nothing. 'Fix the broken contact form on the website' tells you exactly what to do and how you'll know it's done. Vague tasks are the ones that sit untouched for months.
Assign an owner to every task
A task with no owner is nobody's job, which means it's nobody's job. Even solo founders benefit from this, it forces you to be honest about what you're actually planning to do versus just tracking.
Review the board together once a week
A 15-minute Monday check-in: what moved to Done, what's stuck In Progress and why, what's new. This is what actually keeps the board alive instead of becoming another abandoned tool.
Archive Done tasks monthly
A board full of finished tasks is as hard to scan as an empty one. Archive (don't delete) anything completed more than a month ago to keep the active view useful.
That’s the whole thing.
Keep going
What to read next
- 01
Systems & Processes
Write your first Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Turn a task that only lives in your head into something anyone on the team can follow.
- 02
Systems & Processes
Build an onboarding checklist for new hires
Make sure a new hire's first week feels organised, not chaotic, for both of you.
- 03
Systems & Processes
Choose tools that won't outgrow you in 6 months
A simple framework for picking software so you're not migrating everything twice a year.