You're leading an agile team. What product management tools should you use?

As a product manager leading an agile team, we need tools that help with planning, communication, and organizing tasks. Here are some easy-to-use options: Jira: Helps organize tasks, track progress, and manage projects. Trello: Uses boards and cards to visually manage tasks and projects. Confluence: Great for creating and sharing documents and project plans. GitHub or Bitbucket: Essential for managing and collaborating on code. Miro or Lucidchart: Visual tools for brainstorming and planning projects. Google Workspace: Offers tools like Docs and Sheets for collaborative document creation.

- Google Suites: good for retaining all and different types of files in one folder - Miro: good for brainstorming and throwing out ideas there - Figma: good for UXUI designs - Slack/Teams: good for instant mesagings and calls (Teams only) - Jira: good for keeping track your task - GIthub: good for software/code collaborations

My favorite tools for product vision and strategy are: Vision Boards helps illustrating the product vision and key features, they serve as a constant reminder of the 'why' behind our work. (Miro or Lucidspark) Roadmaps are crucial for outlining the product's future trajectory, setting clear expectations for stakeholders, and ensuring that all team members understand the milestones and features we're working towards. its crossteam help in anticipating dependencies and planning resources efficiently.

As a remote SaaS startup, we use specific tools tailored to our team's needs: . These aren't universal solutions but are effective for us. ClickUp: Manages tasks and tracks important task-related documents. Google Sheets, Docs: Used for meeting notes and documentation. FigmaJam: For mind mapping and product onboarding documentation. Discord: Improves communication; channels are organized and bots send reminders for milestones and procedures. I wrote them just to familiarize junior members with the names. It should be considered that each company must choose its tools based on its own needs, customizing them for team comfort.

My favorite tools: + Google Workspace - for almost everything + Miro - for workshopping and brainstorming + Figma - for UX design + Slack - for communication + Jira - for development backlog. But in the end, it's not what tool you use, but how you use them... Remember the agile manifesto! ?? Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. I like to keep it simple. If I would only get one tool I would go for Google Workspace with docs, sheets, and slides. (My experience is managing organizations in the range 50-250 people, and <$200 Million yearly revenue.)

To gather insights effectively, tools like UserTesting and Typeform prove invaluable. These tools enable the team to conduct remote user testing, collect qualitative and quantitative feedback, and iterate on designs and features based on real user experiences. Integrating these tools into the development cycle ensures a user-centric approach, enabling the team to make informed decisions that align with user needs and preferences. The iterative nature of agile development is enhanced by continuous user feedback, allowing the team to adapt and refine the product iteratively.

As an avid believer of Design Thinking philosophy, user testing should center around empathy interviews and rapid, iterative prototyping. Tools like Miro, Invision can be utilized to build empathy maps and capture point of view statements. FIGMA is my tool of choice to create rapid and executable prototypes. These prototypes can then be used to gather feedback from users in either a one-on-one or group interviews. Online surveys are NOT an ideal method for capturing feedback on early-stage prototypes. Surveys can be more effectively used for incremental product changes or A/B testing.

To comprehend users' needs and refine product development, leverage user research and feedback tools. Conduct surveys with tools like Typeform or Google Forms to gather quantitative insights. For qualitative data, engage in user interviews and usability testing facilitated by platforms like UserTesting or Lookback. Utilize analytics tools such as Google Analytics to analyze user behaviors. Implement heatmaps and session recording tools like Hotjar for visualizing user interactions. Social listening tools, including Mention or Brandwatch, monitor online conversations for sentiment analysis. Customer feedback platforms like Intercom or Zendesk capture real-time user sentiments.

'Canny' is an excellent tool that enables you to obtain feedback from customers for each feature release. You can choose a segment of customers for targeted feedback. The responses are analyzed effectively, allowing you to concentrate on specific areas, comprehend customer needs, and assist with prioritization in your product roadmap.

In the agile realm, user research and feedback tools are the compass guiding product decisions. Surveys offer a quantitative pulse on user sentiment, while interviews dive deep into individual perspectives. Usability tests provide invaluable insights into user interactions. These tools not only validate assumptions but also ensure that the agile team remains finely tuned to users' evolving needs, fostering a product that resonates authentically with its audience.

I use the Eisenhower Matrix both in my individual and professional life to prioritize all my tasks in a simple but meaningful way. Then, for product prioritization, I prefer RICE and story estimation to prioritize sub-sets of Eisenhower outputs. It would be nice to point out that the more high-view prioritization methods such as Eisenhower are more product management's responsibility, whereas methods like RICE should be used by both the product manager and the owner.

Highly effective agile teams require tools that keep the product org creating value with focussed priorities against the north-star goals. JIRA remains supreme and widely adopted hence easy for all stakeholders to understand. It is effective tool for managing agile artifacts such as sprints, epics, and user stories and manages keeping your backlog organized and transparent for everyone. Also it is effective in managing cross squad dependencies. Azure DevOPs is another such tool however I would rate it below JIRA in terms of ease of use. Whichever tool you use, make sure to embrace prioritization frameworks like Kano, RICE Score or MoSCoW to assess value and impact of your features.

To effectively manage product development, employ product backlog and prioritization tools. Tools like Jira, Trello, or Asana facilitate maintaining a product backlog where features, tasks, and user stories are documented and organized. Implement prioritization frameworks such as MoSCoW or Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) within these tools to systematically rank items based on urgency and importance. Productboard is useful for visualizing and prioritizing features aligned with strategic goals. Continuous feedback and collaboration tools like Aha! or ProdPad ensure that prioritization aligns with customer needs. Regularly revisit and adapt the backlog using feedback and emerging priorities, ensuring a dynamic and focused product roadmap.

In the realm of Data Science products at big tech companies, leveraging tools like Asana and Azure DevOps can be impactful. Asana's flexible task management and collaboration features aid in structuring data science initiatives. Azure DevOps offers end-to-end visibility, integrating with data science workflows seamlessly. This combination enables Product Managers to prioritize data-centric tasks efficiently, ensuring alignment with broader product goals and facilitating smooth collaboration within the big tech company's ecosystem.

An organized product backlog and prioritization are essential for effective product development management. The backlog specifies features and tasks, and prioritization, using tools such as user stories, story points, complexities, and decisions based on priority, urgency, and value. These solutions streamline organization, resulting in a more focused and efficient product development process.

A tool like Slack stands out for its instant messaging capabilities, integrating well with other project management tools, and keeping team communication centralized and accessible. For instance, in a multinational e-commerce project, Slack can be used to quickly share updates, collaborate on problems, and maintain a continuous dialogue among team members in different time zones. It supports the fast-paced, collaborative nature of agile product development, keeping everyone on the same page and driving efficient progress.

Slack is always a good one to use. However, Microsoft teams is also a good one to use. Slack is good for instant messaging, and teams is better with retaining messagings from the past and doing work calls on teams is also a pretty convenient software to use.

For robust collaboration and communication in agile teams, consider tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Asana. Slack - It offers channels for organized discussions, direct messaging, and integrations with various tools. Fosters quick decision-making and team interaction. Microsoft Teams - If your team uses Microsoft 365, Teams provides chat, video conferencing, and file sharing. Its seamless integration with other Microsoft apps enhances collaboration. Asana - Facilitates collaboration by allowing teams to create tasks, set deadlines, and communicate within the platform. It supports various project views. Integrating one of these and other relevant tools enhances communication, coordination, and overall productivity within your agile team

The master of real-time messaging, Slack is removing the boards as it helps with timely and effective communication. Therefore, Microsoft Teams has turned into a single unified platform that combines other tools of the corporation and offers users multitudes to collaborate in group communication. Zoom, a video conferencing company that delivers face-to-face connection in the virtual world and makes long-distance teams more productive. Asana is an adjustable tool that gives ample space for task management and team collaboration, everyone has taken up as planned. These tools, widely thought to be essential make the basis of united cooperation ensuring that teams stay together and deliver effectively as a single unit with one common purpose.

Leading an agile team without the right tools is like trying to eat soup with a fork. Essential tools: a digital Kanban board for visualizing workflow, a backlog management tool to prioritize tasks, and a robust communication platform – because mind-reading isn't a feature yet! ???????

Consider the user feedback reporting tools to monitor , collect and manage user feedback from different channels like surveys, social media mentions, etc, they can help with prioritising product improvements based on real user needs.

Just a heads up, there's no one-size-fits-all tool out there. It all boils down to what works best for your team and project. -Mapping Out Plan: For sketching out product vision and roadmap, tools like Miro or Aha! are awesome for brainstorming and planning sessions -Getting User Insights: Check out SurveyMonkey or Hotjar for gathering feedback, or UserTesting and Lookback for usability testing -Keeping Tasks in Check: Jira or Asana are handy for organizing product backlog and sorting tasks based on priority -Staying Connected: Slack or Microsoft Teams are perfect for keeping communication flowing smoothly in real-time -Tracking Progress: Power BI or Tableau can whip up some slick visual boards to track how the product & team are doing

Implementing tracking and reporting tools is essential for effective product development oversight. Jira and Trello enable agile project tracking with customizable boards and sprint planning. Reporting tools like Tableau or Google Data Studio facilitate data visualization, offering insights into project progress and team performance. GitHub or Bitbucket aids in version control and code tracking. Utilize Aha! or Targetprocess for comprehensive product roadmaps and progress reporting. Regularly generate and review metrics related to project timelines, resource allocation, and feature completion. This ensures transparency, identifies bottlenecks, and supports data-driven decision-making for continual product improvement.

Effective product development requires tracking and reporting systems. Dashboards display vital indicators, burndown charts show work completion rates, and feedback loops collect insights for continual improvement. These tools help identify difficulties, risks, and opportunities, allowing for more informed decisions and better project outcomes.

Think of tracking and reporting tools as your product's fitness tracker. Dashboards are like the step counter, showing your daily progress. Burndown charts are the calorie burn graph, revealing what's left to burn off (work to be done). And feedback loops? They're your personal trainer, constantly nudging you to improve. Keep fit, stay informed! ??♂?????

As a PM, and someone who has been an agile coach for years too, the most important things to keep in mind when working with development teams are: 1. Staying open to feedback and being flexible 2. Use tools only if it helps your team perform better 3. Avoid death by processes There are thousands of tools one can use, but the key is to know the why behind it and pivoting when needed.

Sigh. Here we go again. If you are LEADING an agile team, YOU are not deciding what tool works for them. Individuals and Interactions OVER processes and tools people.

Always choose the tools that help you with the user/product/team combo you have in front of you. Each situation is different and the same tools that got you results earlier may not necessarily work. Also, bear in mind that a good product manager can work with just a notepad too. Focus on what your personal deliverables are and then choose the tools accordingly. Also, simplicity is your friend here. If you find yourself creating too many "processes", you are slowing everyone down. Try to keep it as simple as possible.

It’s tempting to use the many excellent solutions on offer to mangage different parts of the development process, but you have to be careful not to spread information across too many platforms, as it makes retrospectives, investigations and documentation more difficult if you haven’t tied all of the threads together. The Atlassian suite of tools is good as a catch-all solution, especially for a rapidly growing software company, but it’s far from perfect.