Getting Started
Learn how to use stageburn to manage your work with speed and focus.
Quick Start
Get up and running in under a minute. Here's how to create your first project and card.
Sign up
Create an account with your email. No credit card required.
Create a project
Give it a name and a short prefix (like "IMP" or "DEV"). Cards will be numbered using this prefix.
Add your first card
Press c or click "New Card" to create a task. It'll appear in your backlog, ready to be processed.
Core Concepts
stageburn is built around four key concepts. Understanding these will help you get the most out of the tool.
Projects
Projects are containers for your work. Each project has its own backlog, board, and card numbering system. You might have one project per codebase, per client, or per area of your life.
Cards
Cards are tasks — anything from a bug to fix to a feature to build. Each card has a unique number (like IMP-42), description, priority, due date, labels, and time entries. Cards start simple but can hold as much detail as you need.
Backlog
The backlog is where ideas live before they're ready for work. It's a pool of tasks you can prioritize, tag, and filter. When you're ready to work on something, move it to the board. This separation keeps your active work focused.
Lanes
Lanes are the columns on your board — typically "To Do", "In Progress", and "Done". Drag cards between lanes as you work. You can customize lanes per project and mark one as the "done" lane to track completion.
Keyboard-First Design
Every action in stageburn can be done without touching the mouse. This isn't just convenience — it's speed. Power users can navigate and manage tasks in a flow state.
Essential shortcuts to learn
Press ? anywhere in the app to see the full list of shortcuts, or visit the keyboard shortcuts reference.
Workflow Tips
stageburn is flexible enough for any workflow, but here are patterns that work well.
The Daily Loop
Start your day in the backlog. Use Process Mode (accessible from the sidebar) to review items one by one: move what you'll work on today to the board, reprioritize, or skip. Then switch to the board and focus on moving cards to Done.
Backlog as Inbox
When new tasks come up, add them straight to the backlog with a quick c. Don't worry about details yet. Later, during planning, you can triage: add priorities, labels, and due dates, then move the important ones to the board.
Using Labels
Labels help you filter and categorize. Common patterns: type labels (bug, feature, chore), area labels (frontend, backend, docs), or effort labels (quick-win, deep-work).
Time Tracking
Built-in time tracking means you don't need a separate app. Track as you work, review your time weekly, and understand where your hours go.
Starting the timer
Click the play icon on any card, or press t on a focused card. The timer appears in the header so you always know what you're tracking.
Manual entries
Forgot to track? Open any card and add a manual time entry with start/end times and an optional note.
Reports
Visit the Time view (press g t) to see weekly breakdowns, time by project, and daily charts. Great for invoicing or understanding your focus patterns.