Founder’s Note
Hey y’all,
Welcome to the first issue of Partnered Insights. This newsletter is supposed to be what I call a “scroll snack”. It should be easy to read, but full of high-value information and insights into what we are seeing within the creative and project management spaces.
As of writing this edition, I am feeling the weight of the start to 2026 and am having a hard time getting the gears rolling for this year. One way that I am working to overcome this (other than sheer will power) is by setting aside an hour on Sundays to plan my upcoming week by putting action items into Motion. I find that this helps to keep my life from turning into complete chaos.
💰 Salary check: In Charlotte, NC, the average base salary of a Junior Project Manager is $70,794 vs the national average of $72,482 according to Zip Recruiter.
📣 Shout-out: Duke Energy, they really prepared well for BOTH winter storms Fern and Gianna here in Charlotte. They were able to keep the lights on with no issue. We ended up getting over a foot of snow!
— August Shah
Worth Stealing
Bandwidth Tracker for Dummies
While agencies do a lot of things the right way, there are some things that need some improvement. How to properly track and forecast their team’s bandwidth is often one of them.
I know we have all been in that situation, we think the team has capacity, then a large project comes in, and you find out the team is stretched thin.
I put together this Bandwidth Tracker that will get you going in the right direction for being able to forecast your team's time. It is definitely not exhaustive, but it gets the job done.
Operator’s Insights
What is SaaS Hell?
We feel this daily, there are so many tools out there. All subscription based, all promising similar features. Maybe one is missing that ONE thing you need. This leaves a gap to fill or a workaround to be made.
We recently ran a survey in 2025, it is still ongoing, and if you would like to participate the link is here, it will only take 2 minutes. So far, 90% of the 40 respondents say they experience tool sprawl with no true source of truth. With SaaS and AI accelerating, especially in agencies, costs are rising. Productivity dips, information fragments, and at scale, that hits free cash flow.
Now I know, I know, you are probably saying to yourself, “This really isn’t an issue”. Let me be the first to say that it is.
What is the solution to “SaaS Hell”?
Research: We maintain a dedicated ClickUp board where any team member can propose a new tool. They add it to the board along with their research and a short elevator pitch explaining the potential use case. We have found that it’s a simple way to encourage thoughtful experimentation.
Testing: As a leadership team, we evaluate whether our current tool stack already solves the problem and whether the new tool would meaningfully improve productivity or team quality of life. If it clears that bar, we run a two month live test internally (and with clients when appropriate). We found that real world usage is the only way to determine if it truly earns a place in our org.
Review: Every tool we use is tracked in Airtable. Quarterly, the leadership team reviews the list. If a tool isnt actively used, cost-justified, or aligned with our current workflows, it gets cut.
TLDR: Most organizations are overspending on tools without truly assessing their impact. SaaS Hell is solved by being more intentional in the tools that we integrate into our organizations.
ASK THE EXPERTS
Question of the Week
“How do I stop scope creep without damaging client relationships?”
Answer:
Believe it or not, this starts in the proposal phase. Your SOW should clearly define what you will and will not do, along with general contract terms. The contract is somewhat of a general guide to how much pushback you are able to give a client.
Now if the project is in flight, while your response needs to be professional, the majority of clients will have a positive response to a realignment of project scope. We’ve seen too many organizations hesitate to push back for all kinds of reasons, and that hesitation turns into a slippery slope fast. It is ok to set boundaries.
If you are experiencing Scope Creep and need some guidance, just email [email protected], we provide a Get out of Scope Free Card.
Have a question you want answered?
<Partnered Lab>
PARTNERED INNOVATION
First Impressions Matter.
Now I am not talking about first impressions about meeting someone IRL, but I AM talking about the first impression of someone meeting you for the first time virtually.
What am I talking about?
Your website. Yes, that thing that we love and hate, take pride in, but also some days want to burn to the ground.
Your website is someone's first impression of you, your business, what you are capable of, and if they trust that you are going to be the one who solves their problem(s). Yes, even in the age of AI, it is important to take pride in your website and make sure that you stand out (especially with all of the AI slope that is out there).
Below are 3 tips to ensure that you are putting your best foot forward:
Clean Design: There are too many websites that have a design that is not user friendly and doesn't stand out. You have 3 seconds to convince the visitor to stay. Use those 3 seconds wisely.
Copy: With the age of AI, I know this has gotten much easier, but it’s important that the messaging on your site is clear and concise. Show, don’t tell.
Performance: For. the. Love. of. God. Optimize your website, the majority of visitors are on their mobile device on a non-WIFI connection. Your site needs to load quickly, so yes, that means maybe skip that 15th animation.
TECH TOOLS
It’s more than JUST a Project Management Tool
When it comes to project management tools, there are A LOT of opinions, and I understand why. We have been there, I can safely say we have tried all of the major tools out there, and we landed on ClickUp. Yes, there are some issues with ClickUp from time to time, who doesn't, but there are 2 primary reasons why we chose ClickUp.
Work OS: ClickUp is not JUST a project management tool. It is a Work OS that is very flexible. A few ways that we expand its use are tracking PTO and time off across the ORG, it houses our company WIKI, and also use it to track new hire training on company SOPs.
All in One: Yes, it is an all in one tool, and that can be daunting, but we have found that this is one of the biggest pros. Every PM tool that exists serves a very particular purpose (Jira for technical teams, Monday.com for creative teams), and they all lack certain features. What ClickUp did was roll up the best features from all of the major tools (and then some) and made a platform out of it. This has been great because it has helped to cut down on tool sprawl and centralize data.
Thats a Wrap
Well thats a wrap on the first issue of Partnered Insights. Thanks for taking the time to give this a read. Looking forward to sharing our insights next month.