Cycles

What is Cycles.io

Cycles.io is a product management platform designed to help software teams manage the entire product development lifecycle. Its main purpose is to connect user feedback with product planning and execution. The tool provides a central place for teams to collect ideas, prioritize features, build roadmaps, and communicate updates to stakeholders and users. Cycles.io was created to solve the problem of disconnected workflows between product, engineering, and customer support teams. It helps ensure that what is being built is what customers actually need. The company is based in San Francisco and was started by a group of experienced product managers and engineers who wanted a better way to build software.

Cycles.io Features

Cycles.io offers a set of features to cover the full product cycle:

• Feedback Management: Collect feedback from various sources like email, support tickets, and in-app widgets. All feedback is organized in one inbox for easy review.
• Product Roadmaps: Create visual, shareable roadmaps. You can build different versions of the roadmap for different audiences, such as internal teams or external customers.
• Prioritization Frameworks: Use built-in models like RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) and ICE (Impact, Confidence, Ease) to score and prioritize features objectively.
• Idea Management: A central place for team members and stakeholders to submit new ideas. These ideas can be discussed, evaluated, and promoted to the roadmap.
• Changelog and Release Notes: Automatically generate and publish a changelog when new features are released. This keeps users informed about updates.
• Integration with Development Tools: Connects with tools like Jira and GitHub to sync development progress with the product plan. This keeps the roadmap updated automatically.

Cycles.io Pricing Plans

Cycles.io provides several pricing tiers to fit different team sizes and needs.

• Starter Plan: This plan is for individuals or small startups. It includes core features like feedback collection and basic roadmap planning but has limits on the number of users and projects.
• Pro Plan: Aimed at growing teams, this plan offers everything in the Starter plan plus advanced features like prioritization frameworks, more integrations, and customizable roadmaps.
• Enterprise Plan: Designed for large organizations. It includes all features, plus advanced security, dedicated support, custom onboarding, and unlimited users and projects.

Cycles.io Free Plan

Cycles.io offers a Free Plan that is suitable for small teams or individuals just starting out. The free plan includes basic feedback management, one active project, and a limited number of users. It is a good way to understand the core functionality of the platform. For those who need more advanced features, Cycles.io also offers a 14-day free trial for its paid plans, which does not require a credit card.

How to use Cycles.io

Getting started with Cycles.io is a simple process:

1. Sign Up: Create an account on the Cycles.io website. You can start with the free plan or a trial of a paid plan.
2. Create Your First Project: Set up a project for the product you are managing. Give it a name and description.
3. Collect Feedback: Start collecting feedback. You can import existing feedback from spreadsheets, connect your support tools like Zendesk, or use the Cycles.io widget on your website.
4. Build Your Roadmap: Review your feedback and ideas. Drag and drop the most important items onto your roadmap. Organize them into columns like 'Now', 'Next', and 'Later'.
5. Prioritize Features: Use the prioritization tools to score features and make data-informed decisions about what to build next.
6. Track Progress: Integrate with your development tools to link roadmap items to engineering tasks. This will keep your roadmap status current.

Pros and Cons of Cycles.io

Pros:

• All-in-one platform for product management, which reduces the need for multiple tools.
• Strong focus on integrating user feedback directly into the planning process.
• The user interface is clean and easy to navigate.
• Customizable roadmaps are great for communicating with different audiences.

Cons:

• Can be too complex for very small teams who only need a simple task list.
• The number of direct integrations is smaller than some older, more established competitors.
• The Enterprise plan can be expensive for teams on a tight budget.

Cycles.io integrations

Cycles.io integrates with several popular tools to create a connected workflow:

• Jira: Sync roadmap items with Jira issues for seamless tracking between product and engineering teams.
• Slack: Receive notifications about new feedback, comments, and project updates directly in your Slack channels.
• GitHub: Link product features to GitHub issues and pull requests to monitor development progress.
• Zendesk: Pull customer conversations and support tickets from Zendesk directly into your feedback inbox.
• Intercom: Capture user feedback from Intercom chats and forward it to Cycles.io for analysis.

Cycles.io Alternatives

• Productboard: A very similar tool that also focuses on feedback and roadmapping. Productboard is known for its powerful feedback consolidation features but can be more expensive.
• Aha!: A comprehensive product development tool that includes strategy, roadmapping, and idea management. It is very powerful but has a steeper learning curve.
• Jira Product Discovery: A tool from Atlassian for product discovery and prioritization. It integrates perfectly with Jira Software but may not be as feature-rich as a standalone tool.
• Canny: A tool focused specifically on collecting and organizing user feedback to build a roadmap. It is simpler than Cycles.io but less comprehensive for full product management.

Cycles.io API

Yes, Cycles.io provides a REST API for developers to build custom integrations and automate workflows. The API allows you to programmatically access and manage data like feedback, ideas, and roadmap items. You can obtain your API key by navigating to your account settings within the Cycles.io application, under the 'API' or 'Developer' section. The key is provided for free to all users on paid plans.

Here is an example of how to fetch feedback using a cURL command:

curl -X GET "https://api.cycles.io/v1/feedback" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json"

Cycles.io Affiliate program

Cycles.io has an affiliate program for partners who want to promote the tool. Affiliates receive a recurring commission of 20% for every paying customer they refer. The program uses a 60-day cookie, so you get credit if the user signs up within 60 days of clicking your link. To join, you can apply through the 'Partners' page on their website. Once approved, you get access to a dashboard with your unique referral link, marketing materials, and performance analytics. Payments are made monthly through PayPal or bank transfer once you reach a minimum payout threshold.