Comments on: The Screwdriver Principle http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/the-screwdriver-principle/ Get to know David Kadavy Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:29:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sal http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/the-screwdriver-principle/comment-page-1/#comment-813 Sal Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:43:58 +0000 http://www.kadavy.net/?p=355#comment-813 @kadavy people should be given an option to set due dates or for that matter anythin within a web app. Thats what makes it powerful and useful for all types of users - simple, power etc. @kadavy people should be given an option to set due dates or for that matter anythin within a web app. Thats what makes it powerful and useful for all types of users – simple, power etc.

]]> By: kadavy http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/the-screwdriver-principle/comment-page-1/#comment-812 kadavy Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:08:46 +0000 http://www.kadavy.net/?p=355#comment-812 @Laura, Wrike is pretty interesting, though probably overkill for my needs at this point. Something to aspire to :) Honestly, I think that a text file is the ultimate "screwdriver." I have <a href="http://flyingmeat.com/voodoopad/" rel="nofollow">VooDooPads</a> all over my computer. If nothing else, it's a great way to get the info out of my head with minimal friction between my brain and the medium - then I can plug it in to whatever project management system. @Laura, Wrike is pretty interesting, though probably overkill for my needs at this point. Something to aspire to :)

Honestly, I think that a text file is the ultimate “screwdriver.” I have VooDooPads all over my computer. If nothing else, it’s a great way to get the info out of my head with minimal friction between my brain and the medium – then I can plug it in to whatever project management system.

]]> By: Troy Malone http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/the-screwdriver-principle/comment-page-1/#comment-811 Troy Malone Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:09:42 +0000 http://www.kadavy.net/?p=355#comment-811 Very good post. I deal with this question every day. I am a former Base Camp user that loved the simplicity, but I couldn't figure out why a due date on a task was so complicated. It seemed pretty intuitive to me. My application currently allows for due dates, color codes, comments and attachments (BC just added this), and a request update feature. I guess to some this may be too much, but for most of my customers it is right on. Of course you don't have to use all the features, so you can keep it as simple as BC if you like. Very good post. I deal with this question every day. I am a former Base Camp user that loved the simplicity, but I couldn’t figure out why a due date on a task was so complicated. It seemed pretty intuitive to me. My application currently allows for due dates, color codes, comments and attachments (BC just added this), and a request update feature. I guess to some this may be too much, but for most of my customers it is right on. Of course you don’t have to use all the features, so you can keep it as simple as BC if you like.

]]> By: Laura Roeder http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/the-screwdriver-principle/comment-page-1/#comment-810 Laura Roeder Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:55:16 +0000 http://www.kadavy.net/?p=355#comment-810 I agree with your theory but I think basecamp is a terrible example of implementation. Basecamp forces you to manage projects their way. It doesn't make sense to me to have tasks and milestones, that is just not how I think when I map out a project. In my mind each task has a due date because how else would you know when it needs to be done? By calling it a to-do list basecamp is forcing you into a box, why not just call it a list and let people do what they want, have dates, checkboxes, whatever. This is why I love wrike. Wrike is truly totally flexible because they don't give you a template to work within, there are just tasks and you can do whatever you want with them. You can create to do lists inside them, put relevant information, have priorities and due dates or not. They also let you organize those tasks in any way that you want with as many sub-folders as you want. I like to divide projects by area of my business like marketing, sales, newsletter, website, financials etc, so with basecamp I would quickly reach $149 with my internal tasks alone. I think basecamp forces you to fit your style into their framework. I agree with your theory but I think basecamp is a terrible example of implementation. Basecamp forces you to manage projects their way. It doesn’t make sense to me to have tasks and milestones, that is just not how I think when I map out a project. In my mind each task has a due date because how else would you know when it needs to be done? By calling it a to-do list basecamp is forcing you into a box, why not just call it a list and let people do what they want, have dates, checkboxes, whatever.

This is why I love wrike. Wrike is truly totally flexible because they don’t give you a template to work within, there are just tasks and you can do whatever you want with them. You can create to do lists inside them, put relevant information, have priorities and due dates or not. They also let you organize those tasks in any way that you want with as many sub-folders as you want. I like to divide projects by area of my business like marketing, sales, newsletter, website, financials etc, so with basecamp I would quickly reach $149 with my internal tasks alone. I think basecamp forces you to fit your style into their framework.

]]> By: kadavy http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/the-screwdriver-principle/comment-page-1/#comment-809 kadavy Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:51:45 +0000 http://www.kadavy.net/?p=355#comment-809 @Sal, you're saying that due dates "should" be included, but why? Because they're common? Basecamp has due dates for milestones, but not for tasks. I agree with this decision because on most projects in small businesses, a due date for a milestone is the most you can hope for - trying to set due dates for tasks leading to that milestone is micro-managing, IMO. I find it rare that a particular task related to a milestone really *must* be done by a particular time, and that's why I believe an open field for typing in due dates, or just outside communication amongst team members, is sufficient. The resulting simplicity makes the majority of projects easier to manage. @Sal, you’re saying that due dates “should” be included, but why? Because they’re common?

Basecamp has due dates for milestones, but not for tasks. I agree with this decision because on most projects in small businesses, a due date for a milestone is the most you can hope for – trying to set due dates for tasks leading to that milestone is micro-managing, IMO. I find it rare that a particular task related to a milestone really *must* be done by a particular time, and that’s why I believe an open field for typing in due dates, or just outside communication amongst team members, is sufficient. The resulting simplicity makes the majority of projects easier to manage.

]]> By: Sal http://www.kadavy.net/blog/posts/the-screwdriver-principle/comment-page-1/#comment-808 Sal Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:24:24 +0000 http://www.kadavy.net/?p=355#comment-808 I agree with keeping things simple but in order to get the most of out the feature it needs to be powerful as well. Common things like due dates should already be included in tasks - and then sorting by that date. Cheers S I agree with keeping things simple but in order to get the most of out the feature it needs to be powerful as well. Common things like due dates should already be included in tasks – and then sorting by that date.

Cheers
S

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