HourStack, a new kind of
productivity software

Positioning for easy adoption

HourStack is an entirely different kind of productivity tool, which means it doesn’t fit nicely into any single bucket. It’s too robust to be called just a time scheduling or tracking app and it isn’t a project management tool. It was something else entirely.

The founders of the company came to me for help defining the brand and to create a content strategy that would help new users quickly understand the app and convert from free to paid users.

The ask (as I defined it in my one-page content strategy document).

Hourstack wants to increase revenue by creating content assets that: Attract new customers who are looking for a better way to get more things done, move customers from freemium to paid plans, and build brand loyalty (reduce churn). 

A guiding insight

A quick (but deep) dive into the problem HourStack solved. The result was a two-page insights document that uncovered why HourStack would be a valuable addition to any company in the service industry.

Hourstack is important today because it eliminates the need for a scheduler/traffic manager by helping employees be their own resource managers. 

Why is this important? As the economy continues to grow for the service industry businesses are spending more money on services they had otherwise pulled in house. Agencies are trying to stay lean through this boost to pay down debt and make their shareholders happy. So even though they’re selling more and more projects, they’re not hiring more administrative staff (traffic managers, project managers, account managers, etc.). 

The question, “do we have the bandwidth?” then has become a question that directors now need to answer for themselves. Knowing the answer in seconds is valuable. HourStack gives them that answer.

At the end of the dive, HourStack had their ethos:

“At HourStack we believe that business success—a timely launch, a met deadline, a delivered promise—is the product of concentrated work towards a focused vision. HourStack gives people (and teams) a way to get more things done.”

Onboarding the user

Now that we could clearly express our value to a user, we created a series of in-app messages and emails that helped guide users towards using the app more efficiently. The messages were constructed and automatically sent based on user behaviors we identified as crucial for success.

Creating supporting content

HourStack isn’t just a tool, it’s a simple way to make more time for getting things done. To support this perspective, I wrote 10 founding articles filled with helpful insights for helping teams get more done in less time.

These articles are still up on their blog, which you can find here. I’d recommend starting with the first in the series “Working (and living) at the Speed of Now.”

A homepage completes the experience

Somewhere between the insights and the messaging, I rewrote the HourStack homepage to reflect the new position and create a solid jumping-off point for a new HourStack user’s journey. “Do More With Your Time” became a challenge to new users.

This short video script was included in the homepage rewrite.

Where HourStack is now

Since the positioning, HourStack has experienced tremendous success. It was featured by Asana as a critical addon and grew until it was acquired in late 2019.

Click here see more examples of Content Strategy & Development.