Basecamp Project Templates Overview

Summary

Jason demonstrated how to use project templates in Basecamp, using a "new programmer onboarding" template as a detailed example.
The walkthrough covered template components, editing, and instantiating a new project for an employee.
No business decisions were made or action items assigned during this session.
Attendees: Jason (presenter), with Charles mentioned as the question asker.

Basecamp allows users to create reusable project templates containing pre-defined messages, to-do lists, documents, and links.
Templates help standardize repeated project types, such as onboarding new employees, saving time and ensuring consistency.
Example: A "new programmer onboarding" template includes:
- Welcome message from a team member.
- Structured to-do groups by timeline (e.g., before you start, day one, week one) for both People Ops and the new hire.
- Essential setup steps (e.g., VPN, GitHub, Duo account).
- Shared document with links to important resources (e.g., other Basecamp projects, code of conduct, T-shirt orders).
To use a template, start a new project, select the template, and customize as needed (such as renaming for the new hire).
The creator of the new project becomes the author of automated template messages; users should update message authorship if needed.