Backpack is a starter drug
Posted on May 22, 2005
Filed Under Life
About 3 weeks ago, I started using the new [Backpack](http://www.momathome.com/viewfromhome/internet_technology/backpack.php). As readers of this blog know, I’m constantly on the lookout for the “perfect” project manager for my crazy life. I have kids (including one with special needs), a move to manage, bills to pay, and a bunch of clients to keep happy (with mostly small-to-medium projects).
I love my PocketPC to keep track of my calendar and contacts, but it falls short in task management and project grouping and prioritizing. Same with Outlook. I need to see each project on my plate, whether it’s getting an annual report out or preparing for an IEP meeting, as its own island yet still see how the timing of one task fits into the “big picture” of my life. Each project has its own tasks, timelines and contacts. And it can’t be tied to a single computer or operating system.
So what have I tried to keep my professional and personal life organized? Let’s see, in no particular order: [TasksPro](http://taskspro.com/), [Apple's iCal](http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/ical/), [MasterList Professional](http://safarisoftware.com/mlp.htm), [Getting Things Done](http://www.davidco.com/) (both the philosophy and the [Outlook Add-In](http://www.davidco.com/productDetail.php?id=63&IDoption=20)), [Franklin Covey Plan Plus](http://www.franklincovey.com/planplus/xp/)…those are the ones that I can remember. There were others. All fall short for one reason or another.
I looked at some of the web-based project management sites, but they were either too expensive or made assumptions about workflow that didn’t fit with what I needed. This is the workflow of the typical web-based project manager:
You pay (a lot) for access up to a set number of users, and once logged into the “big company” you manage projects in your intranet.
My reality looks something like this:
I glanced at [Basecamp](http://www.basecamphq.com) and thought it was like all the rest. I was wrong. Turns out that Basecamp fits nicely into my workflow. I set things up on a central “hub” and each client has their own little world around my “hub”, completely independent of other projects and clients for a very reasonable cost (complete with their own logo!). I already think and type naturally in Textile/Markdown formatting (you know you use it too much when you find yourself writing notes to your kids’ teacher using “#” to format numerical lists) and I was impressed and how fast & simple the [37signals](http://www.37signals.com) products are from the time I spent in Backpack. It appears we have [Ruby on Rails](http://www.rubyonrails.com/) to thank for that?
Right now I have two client projects running through Basecamp, and it seems to be well received. One is an annual report, the other is a web project. One client is logging in and using the system, the other not so much (still sending me email and I’m copying it over to where it needs to be in Basecamp). At least they get email copies of everything even if they’re not going through the site as much as I would like to update documents.
The best part about it is that the data is both centralized and local. Messages are posted on the server and emailed, files are uploaded to my hosted server so I can get at them easily. Easy for everyone involved to see a project from a “big picture” perspective. Like [Jon Hicks,](http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/getting-hicks-done) I have a Project in Basecamp that manages all the little details of my life and I’m using this project in the same way I used Backpack. All that’s missing is the ability to send info to the project from email, but I’m told that’s coming. I have a category “Jobs - active”, one “Jobs - on hold” one “Jobs - prospective” and one “Jobs - completed”. I add comments to messages to help me see the hierarchy of a thread of a project. As it moves through the process from “prospective” to “completed” I edit the category. At a glance I see everything on my plate. Milestones help keep my on top of deadlines. A to-do list of “People I have to call”, a list of “client stuff” that tells me what I need to do for work, a list of “stuff to blog”, a list of “things to get done around the house” and I’m at peace.
I have some nits about Basecamp that I hope will be addressed in [version 2](http://www.37signals.com/svn/basecamp2/) that’s currently under development. But for $24 per month, I’m hopeful that I finally found the project management/PIM I’ve been looking for.
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3 Responses to “Backpack is a starter drug”
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Thanks for the pointers - been along to visit at BackPack, and starting to build my pages already!
I love Backpack, so I decided to write an add-on that captures my voice messages and puts it into my Backpack. When I’m on the road and need to remember somthing I call it and leave my messages.
It knows up to 3 different numbers.
So if my wife only wants to leave me a message, she calls it from the house and leaves me a message.
Because it’s not calling my phone directly, it won’t interupt my cell phone, and I can get it without having to dial into my voicemail box from my cell phone.
The best part is that it’s totally free!
Try it at http://www.celltell.tv/backpack
-AD
Projjex.com is a great new site that does a fabulous job of project management. It’s completely browser-based, really easy to use, and has a free version. Cool videos too - I love it!