Jun 10, 2025
Jourden Skillman
Founder
Choosing a project management tool can feel like shopping for a unicorn. You want something powerful, but not overwhelming. Flexible, but not chaotic. A place where your work—and your team—can actually stay organized, communicate clearly, and keep moving forward.
If you’re a founder, an ops-minded creative team, or a business juggling multiple priorities across client delivery and internal workflows, you’ve likely run into the same issues we have: scattered tools, missed updates, and systems that seem to create more work than they solve.
This post isn’t a rundown of every platform we’ve tried. It’s a grounded, honest take on what we needed in a work management system—and why we ultimately recommend ClickUp to the businesses we support.
What We Needed From a Project Management Tool
Our clients wear a lot of hats. They’re managing creative projects, launching offers, delivering client work, onboarding new team members, and keeping operations moving—all often at once. They don’t have time to learn six different tools or reinvent workflows every week.
So, what really mattered?
One central hub for tasks, docs, ops, and comms
Enough flexibility to support custom workflows across different roles
Visibility into what’s happening without hovering or micromanaging
A way to templatize the things that repeat
A tool that helps people get things done—not just track what’s not done
The real goal wasn’t just “project management.” It was operational clarity. When people know what’s expected, where to find things, and how to move work forward, everything feels lighter. Less stress. Fewer questions. Better results.
A report by Zapier backs this up: the average worker switches between apps over 1,200 times per day—and loses up to 4 hours a week just managing tools [1]. No one has time for that.
Why Most Tools Felt “Almost Right”
We tested a lot of tools—some simple, some powerful, some beautifully designed. But in the real world of cross-functional work, where every day looks a little different, most platforms started to feel like a compromise.
Some were great for linear projects but couldn’t support recurring work. Others were ideal for documentation but made collaboration messy. A few were easy to get into—but hard to maintain when team members shifted or client volume increased.
Many of these platforms have strengths. But for businesses that need both structure and adaptability, they often left us building workarounds, managing multiple tools, or settling for “good enough.”
The hidden cost of those gaps shows up fast. Missed handoffs, duplicate work, and unclear ownership don’t just cost time—they cost trust, momentum, and creative energy.
Why ClickUp Just… Fit
From the start, ClickUp offered the kind of structure that felt like it had been built with growing teams in mind—not just startups or large enterprises.
Its nested structure (Spaces → Folders → Lists → Tasks) made organizing different types of work intuitive. Its built-in features—like Docs, Dashboards, and Automations—meant we could keep everything in one place instead of duct-taping together four other tools.
Most importantly, it gave us room to build simple systems that supported real work: recurring client processes, content pipelines, project handoffs, internal checklists. It didn’t ask us to change how we worked—it helped us work better.
That quiet support—removing friction from daily workflows, reducing decision fatigue, and creating room to think—is what made it stick.
ZenPilot, a consulting team focused on systems for agencies, makes a similar case: ClickUp is one of the few platforms that balances customization and control without being bloated or overly technical [2].
How We Use ClickUp in Real Life
ClickUp is more than a task list for us—it’s an operational backbone.
Client folders help teams manage deliverables, timelines, notes, and communication in one place
Internal operations run on repeatable checklists and automated reminders
Content workflows move ideas from draft to published with transparency and accountability
Documentation lives in ClickUp Docs, making SOPs, playbooks, and team onboarding easier to find and update
Dashboards surface what matters—capacity, deadlines, ownership—without needing extra status meetings
It also helps preserve consistency, which reduces the need for constant oversight. Systems don’t replace people—they support them, creating clarity and stability that scale as your team and workload grow.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind When Getting Started
ClickUp is flexible, but that flexibility comes with choices. And for small teams or founder-led businesses without a dedicated ops lead, that can feel overwhelming at first. The good news? You don’t have to use everything. You just need to start intentionally.
Here are a few principles we’ve found useful when setting up systems in ClickUp (or any project management tool):
Start with what you’re already doing. Don’t build from scratch—document your real workflows first, then improve them gradually.
Use templates early. If something repeats—client onboarding, internal reviews, content production—build a simple template and refine it over time.
Resist the urge to over-structure. You don’t need a dashboard for everything. Prioritize clarity and usability over complexity.
Make visibility a priority. Set up views and filters so team members can easily see what’s on their plate, and what’s coming next.
Invest a little time in training. Even just 30 minutes of shared learning can prevent confusion and build team confidence.
ClickUp is powerful, but power isn’t the goal—clarity is. If your system helps your team spend less time managing work and more time doing it, you’re on the right track.
Is ClickUp Right for You? Here’s How to Tell
If you’re just looking for a shared task list, simpler tools might serve you well. But if you’re:
Managing client delivery and internal ops
Wanting more clarity across team roles and responsibilities
Tired of juggling scattered tools
Planning to grow and don’t want to rebuild everything as you go
Looking to build sustainable systems, not just organize tasks
ClickUp is worth taking seriously. Start with one workflow. Keep it simple. Let it grow with you.
Conclusion
ClickUp isn’t just a project management tool—it’s a systems platform. One that supports the way real businesses operate, across clients, internal work, and growth.
We recommend it not because it checks the most boxes on a feature list, but because it helps create space: space to think, space to scale, space to focus on the work that matters. It helps eliminate tool fatigue, reduce unnecessary meetings, and give everyone a clearer picture of what’s happening and why.
For teams that want to stop holding everything together manually—and start building something that runs smoother, lasts longer, and grows with intention—ClickUp is a platform worth building on.
Sources
Zapier – State of Business Automation Report (2023)
https://zapier.com/blog/state-of-business-automation/
ZenPilot – Best PM Tool for Agencies (2023)
https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/best-pm-tool-for-agencies
McKinsey – The Operations Advantage (2023)
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/the-operations-advantage
