In September 2019, I wrote a blog post listing 10 tools I was using to run SourceLevel (in Portuguese). People seemed to enjoy it, and I asked myself why not publish an updated list of tools and SaaS I use for running my startup.
Since I left Plataformatec to be SourceLevel’s CEO, I tried a large number of tools. After some testing, those are the tools I currently use and recommend.
1. Clubhouse
SourceLevel’s backlog management tool. I usually refer to Clubhouse as the best of Trello and Jira in a single package. I like how we can manage epics and milestones, the board view, and its integration with GitHub.
If you, like me, think Trello is too messy, give it a try. It’s free up to 10 users.
Here is my referral code: http://r.clbh.se/mveWaFp
2. Notion
It’s a mix of Evernote, Wiki, and Trello. Notion made me retire Google Docs for written pieces of information.
Our development team uses it to insert their inputs, like a roadmap, onboarding materials, retrospectives, goals, reports, and internal documentation.
Marketing and Sales also have their page. All content marketing’s deliveries go in a calendar view, which allows us to always publish on time. Webinar ideas, keywords research, and other marketing assets are in proper pages in sortable and easy-to-find lists.
Get my referral code to try it: https://www.notion.so/?r=ed72057db2254fb9997d74b5b15d5d13
3. Figma
Figma, along with some design templates, is convenient for sketching mockups and prototypes. I use it a lot to design new features and UI improvements.
I also take advantage of fast-created prototypes to test hypotheses and explore ideas with clients and qualified leads. And it costs nothing because we still are in the free plan.
4. SourceLevel
We use SourceLevel to build SourceLevel. We track technical debt throughout our repositories, so we can prioritize and then solve it. We also love the comments in all pull requests. It prevents us from inserting more technical debts over time.
Recently, we launched new features in the realm of Analytics for Engineering teams, with software development process metrics. It includes Pull Request Lead Time (also known as Time to Review), a Lead Time Histogram, and a Control Chart. We use those metrics to understand the impact of our decisions.
You can try SourceLevel for free
5. Todoist
I have a love-hate relationship with task management apps. Todoist, though, seems to be an exception.
It’s straightforward. Yet, it’s powerful. You can adapt to your “framework” of preference. It has features for filtering, tagging, and changing priority levels. The bad part is that they are all available only in the Premium plan.
I am using a custom version of GTD, similar to Carl Pullein’s.
6. Jabra Evolve 75
This headset is amazing! Its noise-rejecting feature is great and allows me to chat with clients professionally, even though I am in a crowded open-office. I bought one after watching this video:
Seriously, this had been my best acquisition in 2019.
Make every Starbucks into your silent phone booth with Jabra Evolve 75.
7. Krisp
For those that already have a headset, I strongly recommend using krisp.io. It rejects almost all the annoying background noises during video calls, like the sound of keyboard keys being pressed, mugs being moved around, and people drumming their fingers or chatting.
I highly suggest it for people that have conference calls all day. My referral is at https://ref.krisp.ai/u/u2de97ef75
8. Profitwell
It’s the place I look when I need to answer if the company is growing. MRR, LTV, Churn, and those other acronyms and abbreviations that the business demands.
Profitwell folks write very insightful content regularly about pricing and SaaS-related stuff. And it’s free!
9. Spark Mail
I am a huge fan of desktop apps for services I need all day long. That includes email. I prefer an email client rather than one or more open tabs in the browser.
Spark is free too, and the search capability works pretty fast.
I do have some improvement suggestions, like opening images from known sources only, but in general, it is the best one available. Yes, I tested a lot of them. And no, I’m not in the mood to try Superhuman.
10. FullStory
It’s been a recent addition to my stack. It’s the evolution of the user interaction’s heatmap. It gives me much information on how clients and visitors are using our product. It’s especially useful for seeing how people interact with your pricing page.
What about you?
That’s it. That’s my top 10 tools and services for daily usage. How about you? What are you using or want to use more?
Originally published at https://sourcelevel.io on February 6, 2020.
