The German version is also available here.

For a few weeks Wallsome has been available at www.wallsome.com as an add-on for the project management software Basecamp. With Wallsome the users are able to work with user stories and tasks on an online task board. Sebastian Röbke and Timothy Payton used a pragmatic approach without reinventing the wheel. And this is exactly what the Scrum practitioner expects from such a tool and the five million Basecamp users know.

This is the main reason for me, to go into more detail and talk to Sebastian and Tim from Delighted Development about their pilot project and motivations behind it.

“We want to be the bridge from Basecamp to Scrum.“ [Sebastian Röbke about Wallsome.com]

Robert: What is Wallsome?

Sebastian: With Wallsome we built a very well known web based tool from Scrum – the Taskboard. The advantage of Wallsome is the unrestricted usage of all Basecamp functions in parallel.

Robert: How did you get the idea?

Timothy: We both have been working in an agile environment with Scrum for years. During this time we experienced the advantages of a task board. As Basecamp fans, we wanted a way to keep using Basecamp and get to use a Scrum board too. The idea behind this first project was a tool, which we can also use to manage future projects.

Robert: Why should I use Wallsome?

Sebastian: Everyone who has worked with Basecamp already knows that it is a lightweight project management tool which supports teams with project management functions. This simple approach is the perfect basis for Wallsome. We want to be the bridge from Basecamp to Scrum.

Timothy: Teams who have worked with Scrum and know how to use a task board will love the tool because it is easy to use. It is also great for distributed teams working on a single project.

Robert: How do you differentiate yourselves from others?

Sebastian: We don’t wanted to program an independent software solution, because there are a lot of professional software tools available. Our advantage is Basecamp integration and our focus on the essentials – a practical and light tool for everyday work.

Robert: For which kind of work is the tool useful and how does Wallsome support everyday work?

Timothy: In principle it fits for all projects developed with Scrum. This means in projects with fixed release cycles and in which user stories or tasks make sense. It is also simple tool for individuals or smaller teams to manage to dos or projects and make them transparent to others.

Sebastian: This transparency is very important and comes with the task board. Everybody recognizes at first sight the project status. What is not finished or even ready? What is in progress and who is working on it?

Robert: Which features does Wallsome offer and what are your plans for the future?

Sebastian: Basecamp offers the creation and administration of tasks, but also the creation of comments or uploading files for single to dos. Some of these functions can already be used with Wallsome. Currently we are working on an improved integration of files and comments to allow a real discussion on the wall. In addition we are planning to have a board with real-time updates.

Wallsome Functions

Timothy: The advantage of the tool is the task board itself, which then can become your focus of communication, including comments and edits.

Robert: Will there be a free version after the beta phase?

Timothy: As soon as we collect enough feedback and are happy with the state, we will start thinking about it [laughs]. No really we hope to offer a free trial version.

Robert: What do I have to do to become a beta user?

Sebastian: Everyone who already has a Basecamp account can use right now. If you are new to Basecamp you have to create a free Basecamp account on www.basecamphq.com first.

Robert: Many thanks for the interview.

About Delighted Development:

Timothy Payton Loves all things Ruby and Rails. Never beginning with the simple solution, but always breaking into a grin when it surfaces. He also enjoys heart meditation and relaxing with his family. Timothy is @dizzy42 on Twitter.

Sebastian Röbke Hasn’t been able to let go of Web Development since 2000. Studied Business Information Systems before going full-time with Ruby and Rails. He likes playing electronic music and drinking peppermint liqueur, which goes well together. Sebastian is @boosty on Twitter.

About Basecamp:

Basecamp is project management software from 37signal and is in use from millions of users worldwide. Basecamp distinguishes itself by the reduction on the essentials, the management of to dos and milestones. Further information about Basecamp can be found on www.basecamphq.com. An overview of all available add-ons is here.