Summary
- Jason Fried from 37signals introduced and demonstrated the new "Card Table" feature added to Basecamp, explaining its key differences and enhancements over traditional kanban boards.
- The meeting covered the structural innovations behind Card Table—including triage, not now, on hold, and improved notifications—illustrated through internal Basecamp project examples.
- Use cases including bug tracking, quick wins, and idea management were reviewed to show how Card Table supports practical workflows for teams using Basecamp 4.
- Attendees were invited to provide feedback or request additional demonstrations of specific features.
Action Items
No explicit action items or owner assignments were mentioned in the transcript.
Card Table Overview & Feature Demonstration
- Card Table is now available on every Basecamp 4 account and can be enabled per project via the settings.
- Structure enhancements over traditional kanban:
- Triage Row: New cards default to triage (a pre-workflow consideration stage), allowing teams to decide if an item should enter the workflow.
- Columns: Function as workflow stages; users can add, rename, reorder, and color columns.
- Done Column: Serves as a completion bucket.
- Not Now: Items under consideration but deferred move here instead of being deleted or archived.
- On Hold: Any card in a workflow column can be marked as "on hold" and visually separated at the bottom of the column, retaining workflow context.
- Cards can be quickly assigned to users, given due dates, and detailed with comments, attachments, and links.
- Users can "watch" columns or triage for notifications about changes, supporting better team awareness.
- Every column has a direct "Perma" link and can have comments for broader context.
Internal Use Cases and Workflow Examples
- Quick Wins Board: Used to collect small, easily actionable tasks that team members can pick up during downtime. Suggestions move into the workflow when ready.
- Bugs Card Table: Bugs are added to triage, then moved through steps like "steps to reproduce," "contenders," and eventually prioritized into "designer top five" or "programmer top five." "On hold" is used for issues waiting on further input.
- Product Strategy Boards: Track new feature ideas, with cards moving from triage through shaping to execution or "not now" if deferred. Used similarly in the "Hey" product group.
- Real examples showed how teams communicate, assign, and comment on cards, leveraging the new workflow structure.
Decisions
- Adopted Card Table as primary workflow tool — Chosen for its improved organizational structure, flexibility, and enhanced practical features compared to standard kanban implementations.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
- Attendees are encouraged to submit questions or request focused demonstrations on specific Card Table features for future sessions.