What is Kanban?
Kanban is a visual work management method that uses boards, columns, and cards to make work visible and limit work in progress. Learn how kanban works.
Kanban is a work management method that visualizes work as cards on a board, limits how much work is in progress at once, and lets work flow continuously through stages instead of in fixed cycles. It originated at Toyota in the 1940s and was formalized for knowledge work by David J. Anderson in the 2000s.
The core principles of kanban
Kanban has four core practices: visualize work on a board, limit work in progress, manage flow (watch where work gets stuck), and make process policies explicit. The method is famously easy to start — you can begin with your existing workflow and change it gradually.
Kanban vs scrum
Scrum works in fixed timeboxes called sprints with defined roles and ceremonies. Kanban is continuous: work flows through the board as capacity allows, with no sprint boundaries. Many teams run a hybrid — kanban board, scrum-style planning.
Why kanban works for teams
By limiting work in progress, kanban reduces context switching and multitasking, which are the biggest killers of throughput. Work finishes faster not because people work harder, but because they finish what they started.
Nimbus
Nimbus is a realtime kanban tool: a hosted kanban board where cards, comments, and assignments sync to every screen the moment they change — free, with no per-seat pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Is kanban agile?
Yes. Kanban is one of the agile methodologies, alongside scrum. It shares agile's values of iterative work and continuous improvement, but without scrum's fixed sprints and prescribed roles.
How do you start using kanban?
Draw your existing workflow as columns, put your current work on cards, and start moving them. The best kanban transition is the one that starts today — digital boards like Nimbus make it a five-minute setup.
Does kanban work for a solo developer?
Yes. Kanban for a solo developer is a personal backlog with a WIP limit — typically one card in progress — which keeps focus on finishing instead of starting.
Ship your first sprint today.
Create a workspace and invite the team — the board is live the moment you open it.