4 min lecture • Guide 279 of 877
Project Management for Startup Development Teams
Startups need to move fast, pivot quickly, and avoid process overhead. GitScrum's minimal setup, flexible workflows, and low-friction interface let startup teams focus on building product rather than managing their project management tool. Scale process as you scale team.
Startup PM Challenges
Speed vs Process Balance
STARTUP DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BALANCING SPEED AND ORGANIZATION │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ❌ COMMON MISTAKES: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Too Little Process: ││
│ │ • No visibility into what's being built ││
│ │ • Duplicate work without knowing ││
│ │ • Context lost when people leave ││
│ │ • Chaos as team grows ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ ❌ COMMON MISTAKES: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Too Much Process: ││
│ │ • Jira-level complexity for 3-person team ││
│ │ • More time in tool than building ││
│ │ • Ceremony slows iteration ││
│ │ • Team resists using the tool ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ ✅ RIGHT BALANCE: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ • Minimal viable process ││
│ │ • Visibility without overhead ││
│ │ • Scale process with team size ││
│ │ • Tool gets out of the way ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Startup-Stage Board Setups
By Company Stage
| Stage | Board Complexity |
|---|---|
| Pre-seed (2-3 people) | 3 columns: To Do, Doing, Done |
| Seed (4-8 people) | 5 columns: Add Review, Testing |
| Series A (10+ people) | Full workflow with WIP limits |
Progressive Process
Scaling Over Time
PROCESS EVOLUTION:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ADDING PROCESS AS YOU GROW │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ STAGE 1: FOUNDING TEAM (2-3 people) │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Board: To Do → Doing → Done ││
│ │ Labels: None needed ││
│ │ Sprints: No, continuous flow ││
│ │ Standups: Quick sync, not formal ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ STAGE 2: EARLY TEAM (4-8 people) │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Board: Backlog → Ready → Dev → Review → Done ││
│ │ Labels: Priority (P1-P3), type (feature, bug) ││
│ │ Sprints: Weekly iterations ││
│ │ Standups: Team Standup dashboard ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ STAGE 3: GROWING TEAM (10+ people) │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Board: Full workflow with WIP limits ││
│ │ Labels: Teams, areas, priorities ││
│ │ Sprints: 2-week sprints with planning ││
│ │ Reports: Velocity tracking, cumulative flow ││
│ │ Multiple projects: Platform, product areas ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Quick Setup
Day 1 Configuration
- Create project - Name matches product
- 3 columns - To Do, Doing, Done
- Add team - Invite developers
- Start working - Add tasks as you go
- Iterate - Add process when pain appears
Pivot-Friendly Features
Adapting to Change
| Feature | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Easy column edits | Workflow changes in seconds |
| Bulk task moves | Reprioritize quickly |
| Archive | Clean slate for new direction |
| Labels | Redefine categories anytime |