A new way to use Zenhub is here: Introducing Zenhub Issues

The Challenge: 

Software teams want to work together side-by-side, regardless of whether or not they use GitHub. Having a centralized source of truth is especially important when it comes to planning and tracking software projects. Previously, Zenhub’s features only supported users with GitHub accounts connected to our platform. In fact, trialing users previously couldn’t explore most of Zenhub without connecting to GitHub. That is, until now. Zenhub Issues introduce a new way to use Zenhub without the need to connect to GitHub to track tasks. 

So, what are Zenhub Issues?

Zenhub Issues is a brand new issue management experience in Zenhub. Zenhub Issues are issues you can use entirely independently of GitHub, ie. without requiring a GitHub account. In fact, you could populate an entire Zenhub board without ever connecting to GitHub. 

Zenhub Issues allow you to create an issue with labels and descriptions, assignees and dependencies between GitHub or Zenhub issues. They are ideal for any non-development tasks you don’t need to access inside GitHub. 

What’s the difference between Zenhub Issues and GitHub Issues?

Zenhub Issues differ from Github Issues in that you do not connect them to any GitHub repository or any work happening inside of one. Because of this, you can use Zenhub Issues to track tasks inside Zenhub, just like you would GitHub Issues, but without ever connecting a GitHub repository. 

Why your team should start using them

Software development has become a critical function for so many companies. Because of this, we recognize it’s only natural to want to enable non-technical folks – like marketing, customer success, design, etc. – to work with technical teams more harmoniously. For this purpose, and many others, including enhanced security and less money spent on GitHub licenses, we’ve designed Zenhub Issues. 

Here are some of the best use cases we think you’ll enjoy: 

• Track any non-development tasks in Zenhub. For example, “Hire a new Sr. backend developer.” 
• Enable non-technical teams, like Marketing or Design, to work entirely alongside the development team on their projects without paying for GitHub licenses or worrying about security concerns regarding access to your codebase. 
• Keep stakeholders – like executives or product leaders – informed on project progress with an easier-to-use interface than GitHub. 
• Invite outside users – like contractors, clients, and customers – to use Zenhub without granting unnecessary GitHub repo permissions. 
• Consolidate tools and reduce the need for separate project and product management tools. 
• Track customer support issues in Zenhub to make it easier for developers to decide what CS issues to add to their workflow. 

How you can start using Zenhub Issues

You can create Zenhub Issues using the “+” button in the top right-hand corner of Zenhub. Right now, the default issue type is GitHub Issues, but you can change this when you go to an epic to create an issue. To learn more about creating a Zenhub Issue, check out our help center article or the video below. 

From plug-in to platform

The best thing about the launch of Zenhub Issues is that it’s just the beginning. With our Series A funding announcement, we’re accelerating our vision of evolving Zenhub beyond a GitHub plugin to enable teams to collaborate with non-technical teammates and stakeholders. 

We owe our platform’s big improvements to your invaluable feedback. And there’s much more to come for Zenhub Issues in the coming months, including commenting, file uploading, and the ability to convert Zenhub Issues to GitHub Issues. Our roadmap is packed with exciting developments, but we’re eager to hear your thoughts on which features are most helpful and what you’d like to see next. Whether you have comments, suggestions, or just want to show us some love, please visit our profile on Product Hunt. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Before you go, we’ll leave you with this: Zenhub Issues is about enabling cross-collaboration. If you have team members that could benefit from Zenhub access but don’t have a GitHub account, invite them! Zenhub is a great way to keep designers, marketing, customer service, and other teams working closely with developers. See how to invite a team member here.