HN new startup feedback: Taskforce - collaborative task manager | Hacker News Reader

HN new startup feedback: Taskforce - collaborative task manager

taskforceapp.com

32 pointsmaccman25 comments

I've seen so many "collaborative task managers" -- I doubt that the tool is the problem. More the fact that people don't like to do this type of tracking, reporting, etc.

I'm sorry to say that, but these are exactly my words. It is simply more of the same (even the web design).

Most people will keep to-do lists, many people use paper lists. The reason why so few have been successful or broadly adopted is because they don't cross the email/task/project problem.

Not all task managers are built the same, but the need a solution is ubiquitous.

I am often tempted to make my own. I am held back by the fact that there are so many out there and I am unable to articulate what is wrong with them exactly. Which leads me to believe that I am not really looking for that kind of tool - I just think that I am.

The basic problem is that if you ask 100 different project managers what they want you'll get 100 different answers.

Every project manager (I'm using a very broad definition of project manager here...) wants a system that is almost but not quite what someone has already built. "Ohh this looks nice - wait I can't do X? Then it's totally useless." X is different for everyone. Some people can't live without a versioning system, some pople can't live without tasks that have a sign-off field, etc. There are literally hundreds of ways of doing it.

Nobody has solved this problem yet. Probably because it's extremely hard.

Nice one! I'd like a bit more description on the screenshots - I could tell there was an iphone app and something added to gmail, but a quick tagline like 'Manage tasks through your inbox' could be nicer :)

I agree some more text under the headline would be good, as at first I wasn't sure specifically what I could gain from this, compared to the plethora of task mangers out there.

Good suggestion - thanks. Do you think that should be within the actual screen shots? or underneath (where there is some description)?

I stayed 30 seconds of the page and I didn't really understand what taskforce could do for me as a developer. Here's what I think it does.. maybe it will help you make the main page clearer for others.

First, I'm not sure if it's a mac application, iphone app, gmail app.. all of them?

Second, in the gmail screenshot, there's a kind of window on top of the email, does it look actually like this? Is it the application that parse the email..? I didn't get it.

Third, what's the flow of the operations..? I mean, I register.. is it an app I download or a web app? Then, I create a project.. and I add other developper in it? How they join and use my project to view tasks?

Fourth, say I don't use my email to assign task to other developpers, what taskforce does differently?

As you see, I'm a bit perplex about what taskforce does :D

Please focus on expanding your website's information. What is Taskforce, exactly? What are some of specific features that make it better than every other task manager out there? These are key questions that should be addressed right off the bat. Right now users are forced to go through a registration and evaluation process just to learn the answers, and most people (including me) won't bother.

Also, please be careful with hyperbole: it's unlikely that Taskforce will actually save "hours per day" on something that most people perceive as taking only minutes per day.

This criticism is well intended, and I wish you the best of success.

Something I think would be very useful: recurring tasks that allow anyone in the company/team to complete them, or with round-robin assignment. Would be used for those things that have to be done but nobody wants to do them.

That's a good idea. I regularly see people just dropping stuff they don't want to do. One could just create a simple algorithm to work through say a client services team.

I really like the Chrome extension! Look forward to seeing it on my cell too. Things.app is too specific, this looks a little more collaborative.

The slideshow on the front page could be much more effective. With the speed of the transitions and smallness of everything in the pictures, I feel I didn't get a good representation of what the product does. I think it might be helpful to have a short product description (more than 'making work easier' - very ambiguous) in a large font above or below the slideshow.

I would like to see #twitter style hashes that could be easy to use in the updates. Also, this hashing may be helpful with any medium communication. For example, if there were to be a posterous style update let's say via email with a #subject, Taskforce can perhaps automagically bring up relevant emails re:#project. Just a wild thought :-)

HN people can sign up at: http://taskforceapp.com/register

Looks interesting, will check it out now!

Finally a solution to task mgt and email integration that makes sense!! Thank you task force team!! I like the chrome extension - wondering when I'll be able to get it on my desktop (windows user). Oh and btw I love the user interface.

the mac app won't launch for me

We'll have it fixed in a jiffy, sorry

No need to apologize. This is 1.0., if any community can understand, it's this one :)

Interestingly enough, I was up late last night looking for a simple and collaborative task/project management solution - and here you are. Excited to try it out.

Thanks :)

If you get a sec, do you think you contact me off list alex@taskforceapp.com so I can try to debug it?

It doesn't launch from the within the .dmg, but it starts if you put it in /Applications (at least for me)

That works, but launching the application gives me a swirl that hangs forever.

The hanging swirl should be fixed. Thanks for the feedback.

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