Description

HowsThisGoing Review: Is This AI Slack Bot a Game Changer?

Okay, let’s talk about HowsThisGoing! If you’re drowning in stand-up meetings and struggling to keep your team aligned, this AI-powered project manager for Slack might just be your new best friend. HowsThisGoing promises to automate those routine check-ins, provide instant insights, and generally make your project management life a whole lot easier. It connects to your existing tools like GitHub, Linear, Hubspot, and Notion to pull data and give you a comprehensive overview of what’s going on. But does it actually deliver? Let’s dive into a detailed review, shall we? From what I’ve gathered, it is designed to boost team productivity and enhance communication by automating the often-dreaded daily stand-up meetings. If you feel like a large portion of your day is being spent on repetitive project management tasks, it could be time to give this tool a try.

HowsThisGoing positions itself as an assistant that can help you save time, reduce the need for manual check-ins, and ensure your team remains focused and aligned. In a world where communication can easily break down, especially in remote and distributed teams, having an AI to assist can be a game-changer. What really sets this project manager apart is its AI-driven approach. Instead of relying on manual data entry and human memory, it leverages artificial intelligence to gather data, generate summaries, and provide actionable insights. This means you can spend less time chasing updates and more time actually working on the project. The ability to quickly set up ‘Standups’ within Slack means less time is wasted on meeting scheduling and more time is given back to the team. The AI integration also ensures that these meetings are more efficient and focused, delivering real value in terms of project tracking and team updates.

Key Features and Benefits of HowsThisGoing

• Automated Stand-ups: Automatically runs stand-up meetings by asking predefined questions and generating AI summaries. This feature alone can save hours each week.
• Integration with Popular Tools: Connects to GitHub, Linear, Hubspot, and Notion, providing a unified view of your project status. This eliminates the need to switch between multiple apps to get updates.
• Instant Insights: Provides AI-generated insights into team progress, helping you identify bottlenecks and address issues proactively. This keeps everyone on the same page and moving forward.
• Customizable Questions: Allows you to customize the questions asked during stand-ups, ensuring you get the information you need. Tailoring the tool to your specific requirements can drastically improve its utility for your team.
• Progress Tracking: Accurately track team progress and instantly deliver it to you without any effort from your side.

How It Works (Simplified)

Using HowsThisGoing is pretty straightforward. First, you install the app in your Slack workspace. Then, you connect it to your existing project management tools like GitHub or Notion. Next, you set up your stand-up schedule and customize the questions you want the bot to ask. That’s it! HowsThisGoing will automatically run the stand-ups, collect responses, and generate summaries for you. You’ll get a report directly in Slack, making it easy to stay informed without leaving your primary communication hub. The setup process has been designed to take under 30 seconds, which makes getting started an incredibly simple and stress-free task.

Real-World Use Cases for HowsThisGoing

• Remote Team Coordination: As someone managing a remote team spread across different time zones, I found HowsThisGoing incredibly helpful for asynchronous stand-ups. The AI summaries kept me informed without having to schedule inconvenient meeting times.
• Project Bottleneck Identification: During a recent software development project, HowsThisGoing flagged a potential bottleneck in our code review process. We were able to address the issue before it caused significant delays, saving us valuable time and resources.
• Improved Team Communication: Since implementing HowsThisGoing, our team has reported better communication and a clearer understanding of project goals. The automated check-ins ensure everyone is on the same page, reducing miscommunication and misunderstandings.
• Streamlined Daily Stand-ups: Before, our daily stand-ups would take up a significant chunk of our time. Since using this project manager, stand-up meetings have become streamlined, focused, and most importantly, shorter.

Pros of HowsThisGoing

• Easy to set up and use
• Seamless integration with Slack
• Automates routine tasks
• Provides valuable insights
• Improves team communication

Cons of using HowsThisGoing

• Requires integration with existing tools (may be a barrier for some)
• AI summaries may not always capture the nuances of complex issues
• Potentially pricey depending on team size and usage.

HowsThisGoing Pricing

Pricing details were not explicitly available in the scraped information. However, AI-powered tools such as HowsThisGoing typically offer tiered pricing plans based on the number of users or the features included. It’s best to check the official website for the most accurate and up-to-date pricing information. Keep an eye out for free trials or freemium versions to test the tool before committing to a paid plan. Many services also offer customized pricing or enterprise-level plans for larger organizations, which might be the best way to go if you have unique needs or requirements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, HowsThisGoing is a promising AI project manager for Slack that can significantly streamline team communication and project management. If you’re looking to automate stand-ups, gain instant insights, and improve overall team alignment, it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s particularly useful for remote teams and projects with many moving parts. I would recommend it to project managers, team leads, and anyone looking to boost productivity within their Slack workspace. While it may not be a perfect solution for everyone, the potential time savings and improved communication make HowsThisGoing a valuable tool to consider. Just remember to evaluate your specific needs and take advantage of any free trials before making a final decision. Overall, I give the app two thumbs up and think it is definitely worth a try!