3. Project Management
Running a startup often feels like juggling flaming knives — while on a treadmill — blindfolded.
You’re building product, talking to customers, onboarding users, wrangling devs, chasing feedback, updating decks… and it’s all happening at once. Without a system, things slip. Fast.
That’s why project management isn’t a corporate overhead. It’s a survival skill.
The right tools can help you prioritise, delegate, stay on track, and avoid the “oh sh*t, we forgot that” moments that kill momentum. And the best ones don’t just keep you organised — they help your team (even if it’s just you and a freelancer) actually see what’s going on.
According to Asana’s Anatomy of Work report, employees spend 60% of their time on “work about work” — chasing updates, searching for info, or switching between tools. Startups can’t afford that kind of waste.
Thankfully, tools like Trello, ClickUp, Monday.com, and Notion give you clarity and control for free or close to it. Whether you prefer Kanban boards, checklists, Gantt charts, or good old timelines — there’s something that fits your style (and your wallet).
The bottom line: If you’re running your business out of your inbox, you’re already behind. These tools will help you see what’s coming, what’s done, and what’s stuck — before it becomes a problem.
👉 Check out our recommended tools below. Then head over to the rest of the Ultimate Lean Startup Toolkit to explore productivity hacks, finance tools, and more. Or book a quick call if you want help putting some proper structure in place without slowing down.
Project Management
Monday Work Management / Dev
🔗 try.monday.com/peak-work / 🔗 try.monday.com/peak-dev
Summary: Versatile project management tool with customizable workflows.
Price: Free for up to 2 users. Paid plans start at $12/user/month.
Pros:
Kanban, Gantt, and Calendar views
Automations and integrations with 50+ apps
Cons:
Limited to 2 users/1,000 items on free
Advanced features need higher-tier plans
Notion
Summary: Flexible tool combining docs, project management, and wiki.
Price: Free for individuals. Paid from $8/user/month.
Pros:
Extremely customizable
Great for solo founders and small teams
Cons:
Setup can be time-consuming
Limited team functionality on free plan
ClickUp
🔗 app.clickup.com - 10% discount on paid plans
Summary: Full-featured project management platform with automation.
Price: Free. Paid from $7/user/month.
Pros:
Unlimited tasks
100 automation actions
Kind of does literally everything
Cons:
Slight learning curve
Some feature limits on free tier
Trello
Summary: Kanban-style project and task boards.
Price: Free. Paid from $5/user/month.
Pros:
Intuitive and easy to use
Great for visual workflows
Cons:
10-user board cap on free
Basic features only
Asana
Summary: Task and project management with lists and boards.
Price: Free for up to 15 users. Paid from $11/user/month.
Pros:
Robust task management
Clean and reliable UI
Cons:
Gantt charts and dependencies require paid plan
Google Sheets (DIY Task Tracking)
Summary: Build a task tracker manually using spreadsheets.
Price: Free with Google account.
Pros:
100% customizable
Collaborative
Cons:
No views or automation
Manual updates required
Enjoying the series? You’ll love what’s coming next: a full breakdown of the best tools for productivity and AI — so you can get more done, faster, without adding headcount. And if it all feels like too much to wrangle solo, drop us a message— we’ll help you cut the noise and focus on what matters.
