Shortcut - Project Management for Software Teams | Klero Resources
A practical guide to Shortcut: stories, epics, sprints, and workflows built for software teams. Learn how to plan, track, and ship products.
Shortcut
Shortcut (formerly Clubhouse) is a project management platform built specifically for software teams. It combines issue tracking, sprint planning, and product roadmaps in one tool. Designed for teams that ship code: stories, epics, iterations, and workflows that map to how software is built. This guide focuses on what makes Shortcut effective: organizing work around stories and epics, planning sprints, and keeping engineering and product aligned.
Getting Started with Shortcut - Roadmaps, Epics, Stories, Iterations
Why shortcut fits software teams
Story-based workflow - Work is organized as stories (user stories, bugs, chores). Stories link to epics and milestones, showing how individual work connects to bigger goals.
Built for software - Integrates with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. Code commits and pull requests link to stories. See code changes alongside work items.
Sprint planning - Plan iterations (sprints) with capacity and velocity tracking. Drag stories into sprints, see team capacity, and track progress.
Product roadmaps - Build roadmaps from epics and milestones. Show what's planned, in progress, and shipped. Update as priorities change.
Fast and focused - Keyboard shortcuts, quick filters, and a clean interface. Built for speed, not process overhead.
Core concepts that matter
Stories, epics, and milestones
Stories are the individual work items (e.g., "Add dark mode toggle", "Fix login bug"). Each story has:
Type - Feature, bug, or chore
State - Backlog, In Development, Ready for Review, Done
Owner - Who's working on it
Labels - Tags for filtering and grouping
Iteration - Which sprint it belongs to
Epics group related stories (e.g., "User Authentication", "Dashboard Redesign"). Epics show progress as stories are completed. Use epics for features or major initiatives.
Milestones are time-based goals (e.g., "Q1 Launch", "Beta Release"). Link epics and stories to milestones to track progress toward deadlines.
Start with stories. Group them into epics as patterns emerge. Create milestones for major releases or deadlines.
Workflows and states
Workflows define how stories move from idea to done. Default workflow:
Backlog - Not started
In Development - Being worked on
Ready for Review - Code complete, needs review
Done - Shipped
Customize workflows to match your process. Add states like "Design", "QA", or "Blocked" if needed. Keep workflows simple; too many states create confusion.
Iterations (sprints)
Iterations are time-boxed sprints (typically 1–4 weeks). Plan iterations by:
Adding stories - Drag stories from backlog into the iteration
Setting capacity - Define how many story points or hours the team can handle
Tracking progress - See what's done, what's in progress, what's blocked
Use iterations for sprint planning and retrospectives. Track velocity over time to improve estimates.
Integration with code
GitHub/GitLab integration links code to stories:
Commits - Reference stories in commit messages (e.g., "ch1234: Add dark mode")
Pull requests - Link PRs to stories. Stories update when PRs are merged.
Branches - Auto-create branches from stories. Keeps code and work aligned.
This integration is what makes Shortcut powerful for software teams. Code changes are visible in the same place as planning and tracking.
Shortcut - project management for software teams
Practical habits
Write clear stories - Stories should be actionable and testable. Include acceptance criteria.
Use epics for features - Group related stories into epics. Shows progress on major work.
Plan iterations weekly - Review backlog, add stories to next iteration, check capacity.
Link code to stories - Reference story IDs in commits and PRs. Keeps code and work connected.
Use labels for filtering - Create labels for teams, areas, or priorities. Filter boards and reports by labels.
Update stories as you work - Move stories through states. Others can see progress without asking.
Review completed work - At iteration end, review what shipped. Use insights to improve next sprint.
When shortcut isn't the fit
Non-software teams - Shortcut is built for software development. Marketing, sales, or operations teams may find it too code-focused.
Heavy enterprise needs - Shortcut is fast and flexible but may lack enterprise features (advanced permissions, compliance) that large organizations need.
Simple task management - For personal tasks or simple to-do lists, Trello or Todoist are lighter options.
Complex resource planning - Shortcut focuses on stories and sprints, not detailed resource allocation or capacity planning across many projects.
Pricing (high level)
Free - Up to 10 users, unlimited stories, basic features. Good for small teams getting started.
Standard - More users, advanced permissions, custom workflows, and integrations. Business - Roadmaps, advanced reporting, and admin controls. Enterprise - SSO, security, and compliance features.
Shortcut works best for software teams that want issue tracking and sprint planning without the complexity of Jira. Start with the free tier, organize work as stories and epics, plan iterations, and integrate with GitHub to keep code and work aligned.
