Ask YC: Project management

moleskine: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moleskine

Perfect project management app = pen and sheet of paper or whiteboard with stickers.

Anything computer-based is too boring and not very helpful in real life. Project management is a process, not an app. It should be done by people, not computers, and it requires energy and discipline, not algorithms or bar charts.

Face the reality: http://talkback.zdnet.com/5208-9593-0.html?forumID=1&thr...

This may sound crazy but my suggestion for a project management app would be to include some funny or gameplay elements. How about a lottery inside project management app? ("Complete a milestone on time and get a chance to win a case of beer!"). Something to entertain and encourage poor souls who would be forced to use the app.

ive never seen my perfect project management app, but I use basecamp for the to-do lists. I think that my biggest problem is forgetting to use basecamp, because it is not engaging. Maybe you could make something that texts/emails you or calls you on a daily basis and lets you know the top 5 projetcs you have something due on? Or maybe make it more like a whiteboard in style.

Pen and paper + Tinderbox (http://eastgate.com/Tinderbox/).

I use Basecamp more as a structured way to communicate priorities and timeline. It's helpful as a central place around which people across time zones can orient themselves. Look at it as project-oriented blogging. It's not very helpful (or interesting) unless there are multiple people involved in the project.

For a game-oriented take on project management, check out David Seah's The Printable CEO Series (http://davidseah.com/blog/the-printable-ceo-series/).

I created this at the company I worked at a while ago:

http://stufftodo.dedasys.com/

It's basically a fancy todo list with sharing between people. I decided to open source it after seeing that there wasn't a lot of interest, and moving on from that company (I developed it on my own, so I own the rights to it). It's probably not right for everyone, but I use it and like it as it's very simple and direct.

If you're on a Mac, try OmniPlan: http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omniplan/

Or Merlin: http://www.merlin2.net/

Both are superb & Merlin's a bit better.

We use OmniPlan (got a cheap license).

As for webapps.. haven't seen any good project management apps.

Devshop (http://devshop.com) is helping us keep our project on task and understand where our distractions are coming from. If someone wants to unfreeze requirements they know it's their fault we're not going to meet the schedule.

Basecamp is basic. 37s develops simple apps for a mass market of simple needs. If you exceed the need for simple you have to find something else. Since your here you're probably not that simple. ;-)

basecamp is already pretty intuitive and pretty good for average consumer usage. competing with them is going to require a lot of catch-up.

I've written a long response, http://cowoh.org/~craig/perfect_project_management_app.txt.

Thanks everyone