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Launch a small project with a tiny team
6 min read · Updated
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Small projects go off track when decisions vanish in chat, nobody owns tasks and waiting is invisible.
- Four cards are enough: road to launch, Now / Next / Later, waiting on and decisions.
- Plan backwards from the launch date in six to eight steps.
- A 15-minute Monday check-in plus an up-to-date board replaces most meetings.
Three people. One launch date. A group chat with 400 messages, and somewhere in there is the decision you made last Tuesday.
"Wait, who was doing that?"
Small teams don't need big project software. But they do need one place where everyone sees the same plan.
Why do small projects go off track?
Not because people don't work hard. Usually because:
- Decisions disappear in chat. Made once, found never.
- Nobody owns the task. "We should" means nobody will.
- Waiting is invisible. You're stuck on someone, and they don't know it.
- Everything is "this week". So nothing is really next.
What does a tiny team actually need?
Four cards. That's it.
- Road to launch: the big steps from today to the launch date
- Now / Next / Later: what matters this week, what's after, what can wait
- Waiting on: who you're waiting for, and since when
- Decisions: what you agreed, in one line each
Everything in sight. On one board.
Tasks, notes, photos and plans as cards on one calm board. No charge today. Cancel anytime.
Start 7 days freeOr see all templates →How do we plan the road to launch?
Start at the launch date and work backwards.
- Launch day: what has to be true on that day?
- The week before: what has to be tested, checked, sent?
- A month before: what has to be built, written, booked?
- Now: what's the very first step?
How do we decide what to do this week?
Use Now, Next, Later.
- Now: this week, with a name next to each item
- Next: what comes after, no dates yet
- Later: good ideas that can wait
Every Monday, move things from Next to Now. Nothing else needs a meeting.
How do we stop waiting on each other?
Make waiting visible. One card, one line per item: what, who, since when.
When it's on the board, a polite nudge is easy. And nobody has to remember who still owes what.
Where do decisions go?
On one card, one line each, with the date. "Launch on 12 November." "Price: €20." "Instagram first, newsletter later."
When someone asks again in three weeks, the answer is one tap away.
How often should we meet?
Less than you think, if the board is up to date.
- Monday, 15 minutes: Now / Next / Later, and the waiting list
- The rest of the week: update the board instead of the chat
A good board answers the questions you would otherwise ask in the group chat.
Can everyone use the same board?
Yes. Share the board with your team, and everyone sees and adds to the same cards. People you invite to a PAPEPPE board don't pay anything.
More on choosing what matters first: the Big 3.
The full launch board
Your launch-board setup
Screenshot this:
- Road to launch, worked back from the date
- Now / Next / Later, with a name on every "now"
- Waiting on: what, who, since when
- Decisions: one line each, with a date
- Monday, 15 minutes. That's the meeting.
Today, write down the last three decisions from your group chat. On one card.
Questions
How do I plan a small project with a few people?
Keep four things in one shared place: the road to launch, what is now, next and later, who you are waiting on, and the decisions you made.
What is Now, Next, Later planning?
Now is this week with a name on each item, Next is what comes after, and Later holds ideas that can wait. Every Monday you move things from Next to Now.
How do I keep track of decisions in a team?
Write each decision as one line with a date on a single card, so nobody has to search the group chat.
How often should a small team meet?
Fifteen minutes on Monday is often enough if everyone updates the board during the week.
Does everyone on the team need to pay for PAPEPPE?
No. People you invite to a PAPEPPE board do not pay anything.
Try it on your own board.
No charge today. Cancel anytime.
Start 7 days free