AUTOMATION
AI Project Manager: Replace Linear, Jira, and Asana with a Single Agent
Build a project management AI that maintains its own kanban board, runs standups via Slack, and costs a fraction of enterprise SaaS subscriptions.
Your team pays $12-50 per user per month for project management software. For a 20-person team, that's $2,880-$12,000 per year—just to track tasks and run standups.
What if an AI agent could do the same job, live in tools you already use, and cost almost nothing?
The Hidden Cost of Project Management SaaS
Let's look at what enterprise project management tools actually cost for a 20-person team:
| Tool | Price/User | Annual (20 users) |
|---|---|---|
 Linear | $12/user/mo | $2,880 |
 Jira | $18.30/user/mo | $4,392 |
 Asana | $24.99/user/mo | $5,998 |
 Monday.com | $19/user/mo | $4,560 |
Prices based on standard/professional tiers as of December 2025
What if your project manager was an AI that cost $0/user and lived in tools you already use?
What an AI Project Manager Actually Does
An AI project manager isn't just a chatbot. It's a persistent agent that actively manages your team's workflow:
Maintains its own kanban board
Runs daily standups via Slack
Tracks blockers and escalates
Generates sprint reports automatically
Integrates with existing tools
A Day in the Life: AI Project Manager in Action
Here's what it looks like when an AI agent manages your projects. These are real conversations you'd have with your agent:
Morning Standup via Slack
via Slack - #engineeringGood morning! Here are your assigned issues:
| Issue | Status | Assignee |
|---|---|---|
| Feat: Payment gateway integration | In Progress | You |
| Fix: Checkout validation error | Blocked | You |
| Chore: Update API documentation | Todo | You |
The checkout validation issue has been blocked for 2 days. Should I ping John for his review?
Blocker Escalation
via Slack - #pm-alertsHeads up — 3 issues have been blocked for 48+ hours:
| Issue | Blocked | Waiting On |
|---|---|---|
| Feat: Stripe webhook handler | 3 days | @john (code review) |
| Fix: Database migration script | 2 days | DevOps approval |
| Chore: Design asset handoff | 2 days | @sarah (assets) |
Want me to send reminders to each person?
Sprint Planning via Email
Based on velocity (34 pts/sprint) and capacity, here's my recommended Sprint 24:
| Issue | Points | Assignee | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feat: Payment processing v2 | 8 | Alex | High |
| Feat: User dashboard redesign | 8 | Jordan | High |
| Fix: Cart calculation bug | 3 | Sam | Medium |
| Chore: Database indexing | 5 | Alex | Medium |
| Fix: Session timeout issue | 2 | Sam | Low |
Total: 26 points. I've added these to the board. Ready for review.
Weekly Report Generation
Sprint 23 — Week 1 Summary
| Completed This Sprint | Points | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Feat: User authentication flow | 8 | Alex |
| Feat: Dashboard charts component | 5 | Jordan |
| Fix: Login redirect loop | 3 | Sam |
| Fix: Mobile responsive header | 2 | Jordan |
| Chore: CI pipeline optimization | 3 | Alex |
Velocity: 21 points completed (on track for 42)
Blockers: 1 remaining (waiting on third-party API)
Full report saved to /reports/sprint-23-week-1.md
The Killer Feature: The Agent's Own File System
Here's what makes this fundamentally different from any project management tool you've used before.
In Lazarus, every agent has its own persistent file system. Your project management agent doesn't just connect to a kanban tool—it IS the kanban tool. It maintains a spreadsheet in its workspace that serves as your project board, and updates it in real-time as work progresses.
No subscription fees
Full ownership of data
Agent maintains it automatically
Customizable to your workflow
This isn't a tool that helps you do project management. It's a project manager that does project management.
Step-by-Step: Build Your AI Project Manager
Here's how to build your own AI project manager in about 15 minutes:
Step 1: Create the agent and write instructions
Open Lazarus and create a new agent. Name it something like "PM Agent" or "Sprint Manager." Then describe what you want in plain language:
"You are my project manager. Every morning at 9am, ping the team in Slack for standup updates. Track all tasks in a spreadsheet called 'sprint-board.csv'. When tasks are blocked for more than 24 hours, alert me. Generate weekly reports every Friday."
Step 2: Connect to Slack, Discord, or Email
Add your communication channels. The agent will be able to message your team and respond when mentioned. You can talk to it in Slack, Discord, or send it emails.
Step 3: Set up the file system with a project template
Create an initial sprint board spreadsheet in the agent's workspace. Or just tell the agent to create one—it'll set up a sensible structure based on your instructions.
Step 4: (Optional) Connect to existing PM tools via MCP
If you're still using Linear, Jira, or Asana, connect them via MCP. The agent can read from and write to these tools while you transition.
Step 5: Test with your team
Run a test standup. Ask the agent for a status report. Move a task and watch it update the board. Within a day, you'll wonder why you ever paid for PM software.
That's it. You've built a project manager that works 24/7, never forgets anything, and costs almost nothing.
Advanced: Build a Multi-Agent PM Team
Once you're comfortable with a single PM agent, you can build a team of specialized agents that work together:
Scrum Master Agent
Task Assigner Agent
Blocker Resolver Agent
All agents share the same workspace. They can read each other's files, coordinate on tasks, and escalate to you when they need human judgment.
Stop paying $6,000/year for project management. Build an AI that does it better.
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