Use this template when creating a new project board. Duplicate the checklist below and translate each item into tickets that match your tooling (Linear, Jira, Shortcut, etc.). Every card must include:
- Owner: Single directly responsible individual.
- Definition of Done: Acceptance criteria or linked doc.
- Due Date / Sprint: Aligns with the milestone cadence.
| Column | Purpose | Exit Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Intake | Capture inbound ideas, SOW updates, and client requests. | Request triaged and groomed for feasibility. |
| Discovery | Define scope, constraints, and success metrics. | Approved scope document; RAID log started; stakeholders mapped. |
| Planning | Break work into deliverables, estimate, and schedule. | Sprint plan approved; capacity confirmed; dependencies identified. |
| In Progress | Actively being worked by the team. | Code or artifact ready for review; checklists updated. |
| Internal Review | Peer review, design critique, or internal demos. | Review comments resolved; sign-off recorded. |
| Ready for QA | Handoff to QA with environments + test notes. | QA has all access; scope tagged for release. |
| QA | Manual + automated testing execution. | All blocking issues resolved or ticket moved back. |
| Ready for Launch | Awaiting release window and comms. | Release plan approved; rollback strategy documented. |
| Done | Launched, documented, and measured. | Post-release metrics captured; retros entered. |
- Project charter completed and shared with stakeholders.
- Communication plan posted in shared workspace.
- Budget tracker created; baseline burn established.
- RAID log established and reviewed weekly.
- Success metrics & KPIs defined with owners.
- Discovery interviews scheduled and outcomes documented.
- UX flows mapped with sign-off from stakeholders.
- UI components validated against design system.
- Content strategy aligned (microcopy, localization, legal).
- Usability testing plan prepared with target users.
- Technical discovery: architecture diagrams, integrations, constraints.
- Sprint 0 tasks: repo setup, CI/CD configuration, environments provisioned.
- Story breakdown with estimates and dependencies flagged.
- Definition of Ready checklist applied before sprint commitment.
- Definition of Done enforced (tests, documentation, monitoring hooks).
- Test plan approved and stored alongside project documentation.
- Test data prepared; accounts and feature flags ready.
- Automated test coverage targets set with QA lead.
- QA sign-off criteria defined in advance (see QA checklist).
- Regression suite scoped for launch gate.
- Launch checklist drafted (go/no-go, support playbook, rollback).
- Monitoring and alerting configured & validated in staging.
- Support handover scheduled with operations/customer success.
- Documentation updated (runbooks, FAQs, client training).
- Post-launch analytics dashboard configured.
| Ceremony | Purpose | Owner | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Status Sync | Review KPIs, blockers, RAID log. | PM | Weekly |
| Sprint Planning | Confirm scope, capacity, dependencies. | PM + Tech Lead | Each sprint |
| Daily Standup | Share progress, blockers, priorities. | Team | Daily |
| Design Critique | Gather feedback on designs before build. | Design Lead | As needed (≥ every 2 weeks) |
| QA Sync | Align on coverage, defects, release readiness. | QA Lead | Weekly |
| Stakeholder Demo | Showcase progress, capture feedback. | PM | Every 2 sprints |
| Retro | Capture learnings, improve process. | PM | Every 2 sprints |
- Project Charter → Notion / Google Docs in
Client > Project > Charter. - Board → Tool of record (Linear/Jira) with link in charter.
- Design → Figma project with shared access; link in backlog tickets.
- Technical Docs → Repo
/docsor shared drive; architecture diagrams versioned. - QA Assets → Test cases in QA tool (TestRail/Notion); automated suites in CI summary.
- Communication → Slack channel
#client-project; include vendor/client.
- No card stays in a column for longer than the sprint without comment.
- Each column has a clear Work-In-Progress limit agreed by the team.
- Every ticket links to supporting docs (design, tech spec, test plan).
- Blocked items tagged and reviewed in status updates.
- Metrics dashboard updated before weekly status sync.
- Duplicate PM board template in chosen tool.
- Populate project metadata (client, squad, start date, target launch).
- Invite stakeholders and ensure notification rules are set.
- Import initial backlog from discovery/planning outputs.
- Review with Tech Lead, Design Lead, QA Lead before kickoff.