Pivotal Tracker Project Template

Here at Pivotal Labs, a software consultancy company, we are constantly starting new projects. Looking at the blank slate of an empty Pivotal Tracker can be intimidating. As part of our project kickoff process, we start with a consistent structure.

The structure includes:

1. A PM inbox: An area for Product Managers to place stories that they are working on and for others to add stories for the PM(s) to review before entering them into the backlog. Tip: Use a release marker with up arrows as a divider.
2. A Dev inbox: Where chores can be stored and prioritized that are then brought into the backlog during Pre-IPM/IPM (Iteration Planning Meeting).
3. Feature and Bug Templates: Used as a reminder of what makes a good story. Tip: From the Effective Story Writing post it includes a Feature Template and Bug Template.
4. Testing URLs: Having a centralized location to store links for testing makes it easy to reference and keep updated instead of storing them in individual stories.

After your additions your Tracker will now look like the image below.

While it may not look like much, you no longer have a blank page and have a starting point!

If you have other tools or structures that work for you, it would be great to hear them.