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July Question of the Month - Join the conversation and receive a badge

Rebeca S.

Hi Community,

During June, we got a glimpse into your creative AI assistant ideas. There was a bit of everything, and I mean that in the best way possible. You had the coolest ideas from personal organizers and alternate reality simulators 👀, to a personal sous-chef for the kitchen, and even your own personal book-suggestion tool.

But a new month means we're switching things up again. For July, we are pivoting to a slightly Summer-related theme. 🏝️

Here’s your new chance to earn a badge while getting to know your peers:

You have to project-manage your escape from a desert island using Smartsheet (and magical Wi-Fi). Where do you start?

What was the first thing that came to mind? You can take this challenge in any direction you want! Whether you’re kicking off with a coconut inventory sheet, setting up an SOS automated alert, or building a very complete rescue dashboard, there are absolutely no wrong answers.

Share your response in the comments below. ⬇️

About Question of the Month:

We kick off each month with a new question. These monthly ice breakers are just one way to help you get to know your Smartsheet peers and rack up some badges and points in the process.

Everyone who participates by answering the question prior to the end of the month will automatically receive a unique participant badge once the question closes at the end of the month.

In addition to the participant badge, the top three answers based on Community member votes will receive the Top Answer badge. To vote on an answer click on the upvote icon associated with an answer in the comments below. Multiple votes allowed and encouraged!

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Comments

Ray Lindstrom

I mean… first things first: if I’ve got magical Wi‑Fi, am I really in a rush to leave? 😄
But fine—let’s treat this like a proper project.

Step 1: Intake & Discovery
Spin up a Smartsheet intake form:

“Who’s on the island?” (stakeholders)
“What resources do we have?” (boats? coconuts? questionable life choices?)
“What risks exist?” (sharks, sunburn, running out of coffee)

Automatically dump responses into my master Escape Plan Sheet.

Step 2: Build the Plan
Create a project sheet with key phases:

Survival stabilization (food, shelter, sunscreen strategy)
Resource gathering (materials for raft… or signal fire)
Escape design (raft vs rescue vs “accidentally viral TikTok”)
Execution & launch

Of course, everything gets dependencies, durations, and a critical path—because nothing says “stranded” like a missed milestone.

Step 3: Dashboards = Island Command Center
Build a dashboard to track:

Progress bar: “% closer to not being stranded”
Risk heat map (spoiler: it’s all red at first)
Resource inventory (coconuts = green, morale = fluctuating)

Step 4: Automation to Save My Sanity

Alerts when supplies run low (“You have 2 coconuts left—rethink strategy.”)
Reminders for daily standups (attendance: me, myself, and I)
Approval workflow: “Is this raft seaworthy?” → auto-approved because… no backup approvers 😬

Step 5: Collaboration & Reporting
Weekly status update:

“Project Escape remains on track. Minor risk of dehydration, but morale improved after naming the island ‘Conference Room B.’”

Step 6: Contingency Planning
Backup plan sheet:

Plan A: Build raft
Plan B: Signal passing ships
Plan C: Lean into island life and start a Smartsheet user group chapter

Angie Bryant

You have to project-manage your escape from a desert island using Smartsheet (and magical Wi-Fi). Where do you start?

Phase	Goal	Status
Initiation	Confirm I'm actually stranded	✅ Complete
Planning	Determine escape options	🟡 In Progress
Execution	Build raft / signal rescue	🔴 At Risk
Monitoring	Avoid being eaten by wildlife	🟡 Ongoing
Closeout	Return home and document lessons learned	⏳ Pending

Top-Level Tasks

Stakeholder Identification
- Me (Project Sponsor)
- Seagulls (Unhelpful SMEs)
- Rescue Coast Guard (Future Stakeholders)
Risk Register
- Shark interference
- Coconut-related injuries
- Scope creep ("while we're here, let's build a resort")
- Wi-Fi outage (catastrophic)
Resource Planning
- 37 sticks
- 12 coconuts
- Half a volleyball named Wilson
- Unlimited Smartsheet licenses thanks to magical Wi-Fi
Critical Path
Find water
↓
Build shelter
↓
Build signal fire
↓
Build raft
↓
Escape island

Executive Dashboard

% Survival Complete: 73%
Days Since Last Coconut Incident: 0
Open Risks: 14
Critical Issues: 7
Morale: 🔴 Red
Wi-Fi Signal: 🟢 Green

Rebeca S.

Fair, the magical Wi-Fi might not be the biggest incentive to leave the island, but you've got a great plan here. 😆

Will Duplex

The first thing that came to my mind was building out a Workspace and getting all parties involved accounted for. Once everyone was within the workspace, I'd set things up similar to a project with a clear objective: getting off the island by any means necessary.

I'd build out a main sheet with various tasks and phases, and begin assigning people to specific tasks. I'd definitely utilize Gantt View to begin mapping out a timeline and assigning priorities to each task in order of importance, as well as more complex tasks that require other tasks/steps to be completed first. (e.g. building a boat would require gathering wood and other materials first, but would initially be lower on the priority list compared to securing a food source and fresh water.)

By keeping tasks and people organized, it ensures that everyone has a purpose, no one individual is overwhelmed, people understand timing and action, and that everyone understands that the roles that they play all contribute to a shared unified goal of escaping the island. Psychologically speaking, this strategy may reduce the levels of fear and potential risk within the larger group.

My fun answer would be that I'd use the laptop with magic Wi-Fi to make a new post on the Smartsheet Community forum that myself along with the other 20-30 people on the island will not be paying our taxes for the foreseeable future. Then I'd wait for the IRS to locate all of us for rescue! 😂

Rebeca S.

I'm having the best time reading these responses. You really made me laugh with those unhelpful SME Seagulls. 😂

Rebeca S.

First, I love how thoughtful your serious answer is, Will. You're even keeping morale up!

That fun answer though, I bet that would work. 🤣

Protonsponge

A desert island means sun. Magical Wi-Fi means internet. Smartsheet access strongly suggests I also have some kind of mystical budget approval process. At that point, escaping feels unnecessarily negative.

I open a new sheet called “Operation: Not Leaving” and begin project-managing the construction of a fully functional beachfront cocktail bar.

My plan would include:

Phase 1: Resource gathering - locate coconuts, shade, and anything that can be rebranded as “rustic seating.”
Phase 2: Vendor management - use the magical Wi-Fi to source umbrellas, speakers, and an unreasonable quantity of limes.
Phase 3: Risk mitigation - ensure the bar is structurally sound enough to survive tropical weather and enthusiastic happy hours.
Phase 4: Stakeholder engagement - invite the Smartsheet Community to remote-launch the island’s first collaborative tiki bar.

If, after all that, I still need to “escape,” I’ll create a follow-up project plan. But realistically, once the cocktails are flowing and the dashboard is live, this stops being a rescue mission and starts looking a lot more like a lifestyle choice.

Paul.Woodward

You have to project-manage your escape from a desert island using Smartsheet (and magical Wi-Fi). Where do you start?

I second @Ray Lindstrom . hahahah

Do I really have to leave?

I mean... I could live like Tom Hanks in Cast Away with Wilson. No commute. No meetings. Just Smartsheet, swimming, and tropical sunsets. Am I working from a laptop or a tablet with this magical Wi-Fi? Also... remind me again why I'm trying to get off this island?

Anyway...

I know the prompt says to project-manage my escape, but why overcomplicate things? This is the SHORTEST PROJECT EVER

Since I have magical Wi-Fi, I'd just send a message to someone: "Hey... come pick me up whenever you get a chance."

While I'm waiting, I'd build a Smartsheet to catalog everything I discovered on the island—interesting plants, seashells, wildlife, places I explored, and memorable experiences. Maybe even throw together a dashboard with a few charts because... why not?

When my ride finally shows up, I'll export the report, grab Wilson, and head home.

Rebeca S.

Honestly, you make a strong case for staying on the island. The remote-launch of the tiki bar with the Community sounds way fun. 😎

Paul Newcome

Assuming this island has everything needed for survival such as a fresh water source and food source(s), I may not put a whole lot of effort into a "rescue". I may just relax for a bit and enjoy a vacation. 🏝️

Rebeca S.

I love that you went the explorer route before leaving. Who knows, maybe there's something really cool to discover on the island! 🏝️

And I'm open to very free interpretations of the question, you can plan your stay as well. 😁

Paul Newcome

@Protonsponge Can you set this up as a Control Center solution or share the template? 😂

Rebeca S.

Can't argue with that logic, haha. Enjoy your island vacation! 😁🏖️

Matt_Burrows

I'd start by submitting a Product Idea:

"Automatically create a rescue helicopter from a Form submission."

If that didn't make the roadmap quickly enough, I'd fall back to my Store → Sieve → Serve framework:

Store: Inventory everything the island has to offer (food, water, shelter materials, passing ships...).

Sieve: Prioritise survival tasks using reports and dashboards to focus on the biggest risks first. (No.1: Lack of coffee!)

Serve: Build an executive dashboard tracking KPIs like:

No. of coconuts collected
meeting attendence (100% so far - just me!)
rescue probability
physical health (harvey ball)
Est. days until death (the final deadline!)

Matt

Rebeca S.

Great framework, Matt! Somehow, I didn't realize the lack of coffee would be such a big motivator to leave the island. 👀☕️

Matt_Burrows

Well unless I can find some coffee beans to add to the inventory?! :D

Rebeca S.

Maybe there are a few special items hidden around the island? 😉

Amy Munro

You so deserve to win answer of the month!! 🤣

Amy Munro

Project Mandate: Don't die
Project Objective: Escape before I become a project dependency.

Lessons Learned
Pulled from other Smartsheet projects (using rolled up LL registers)
- You can survive, 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food.

Dependencies
An extreme increase in people stranded on desert islands. Rescue resources at capacity. Review opportunities to sequence rescue efforts.

Key Risks: (determined from other project risks)
Enhance the likelihood of one helicopter / navy boat rescuing all stranded island hoppers (High - due to user group promotion - see below)
Water availability (Critical)
Food source (High)
Sharks (High)
Sunburn (High)
Running out of coffee (Critical)
Scope creep from island residents requesting a luxury resort instead of a rescue plan (Certain)

Phase 1: Build a rescue dashboard.
Phase 2: Build a fire for sending smoke signals to the other islands. Build a raft and sail to the other other islands.
Phase 3: Work remotely on the island. Present at the next Smartsheet virtual user group and make an appeal for donations for a helicopter rescue.

Rebeca S.

I genuinely love how all the desert islands exist at the same time in your plan, Amy. 🏝️

Scope creep from island residents requesting a luxury resort instead of a rescue plan (Certain)

🤣

Nitish K

Desert Island Escape Workspace:

1. The First Thing That Comes to Mind: The GPS Mobile Form (My SOS)

Before building a raft, I need people to know where I am. I’d immediately open the Smartsheet Mobile App on my phone and create a simple 'SOS Form.'

The Magic Feature: I would use the Mobile Location (GPS) capture field in the form to log my exact coordinates, attach a selfie of me looking desperate next to a palm tree, and submit it.
The Automation: I’d set up a workflow: “When a new row is added, immediately Alert Everyone (including the Coast Guard, my mom, and my boss to let them know I’ll be late for Monday's standup).”

2. The 'Raft & Rescue' Project Plan (Gantt Chart)

To actually build an escape vessel, I need a strict project timeline with no room for scope creep.

Dependencies & Critical Path: I can’t start the task “Assemble Raft” until the predecessor tasks “Gather 50 vines” and “Cut down 15 bamboo stalks” are 100% complete.
Milestones: I’d set a hard milestone for “Launch Day” before monsoon season kicks in.

3. The 'Wilson' Task Board (Card View)

If I have to collaborate with any local wildlife (or a volleyball), I’ll assign tasks using Card View grouped by 'Assignee.'

To-Do: Me (Build raft, boil water).
In Progress: The local monkeys (Gather coconuts, test raft buoyancy).
Complete: The crabs (Keep watch on the beach).

4. The Island Command Center (Dashboard)

To keep my spirits up, I’d build a real-time Survival Dashboard:

Metric Widget: Days Stranded (using the formula: =TODAY() - DateStranded@row).
Chart Widget: A pie chart of 'Food Sources' (Fish vs. Coconuts vs. Hope).
Rich Text Widget: The daily motivational quote of the day.
Web Content Widget: A live weather radar so I can track incoming storms.

adam.berkley

First off, magical Wi-Fi sounds amazing. However, I want to make sure I have everything set up before my ADD kicks in.

Day 1: After breakfast, I open Smartsheet and create a workspace and an Intake Form. Because the first rule of project management is: if it isn't tracked, it didn't happen 😉. Next, I break down the escape into workstreams. Every project needs a Work Breakdown Structure. I'll resist the urge to just "wing it" and instead decompose the escape into four clean workstreams: survival, signal, vessel, and rescue.

Day 2: I switch to Gantt view. A timeline stretches across my screen. That way I will feel a deep, irrational sense of control. The island hasn't changed. But the Gantt chart implies progress, and that's basically the same thing.

Day 3: I open a new sheet: the Risk Register. This is where us PMs earn our keep. I wind up filling it in with methodical dread.

Day 4: I take the day to enjoy the island and see the sights and feel happy I have gotten this far

Day 5: My Daily Standup. Every morning at 9am (I've estimated the time by where the sun is), I hold a standup. I literally stand up, look at my sheet, and I say out loud what I completed yesterday. Now I figure out what I'm doing today, and what's blocking me. A crab watches, and hmmm, I think I will add the crab as a collaborator. I assign it "Raft material scouting." It doesn't respond to the share invite.

Day 6: I take another day off to explore another part of the island.

Day 7: The raft is ready and it's Day 7, exactly on the Gantt. I stand at the water's edge, paddle fashioned from a palm frond. Before pushing off, I update every task to "Complete," move the project to "Closed," and write a brief retrospective note.

Take away: The crab is my silent stakeholder. Every project has one.

TVang

Magical Wi-Fi? Uber eats, Amazon delivery... Oh, yes!

I would spin up a new sheet (workspace + sheet nowadays); create a form with the following fields and text; and email the form URL to my spouse.

Date you'd like me to return by: _________
Date I MUST return by:__________
Please, don't worry. I packed my collapsable fishing rod and reel. Love you!

And then plan the project accordingly.

P.S., I would enable CAPTCHA on the form "to reduce spam". 😉

Naeem Ejaz

I’d treat it like a structured project plan. The first thing that comes to mind is setting up a master sheet that tracks resources, tasks, risks, and timelines. From there, I’d build dashboards and automations to keep everything aligned.

Alok Pandey

Use "Build with AI" feature to create a project plan

PH_Admin

Use rolled up reports to collect view all the great ideas from everyone else. Then build a program dashboard view of how we are all going to get rescued.

Anjanesh Vaidya

I'd resist the urge to jump straight into creating tasks.

I'd first spend some time understanding the situation. Before planning anything, I'd build a simple risk register to identify everything that could put the mission at risk: lack of water, injuries, changing weather, limited daylight, or even a failed rescue attempt. Reducing the biggest risks first makes every decision after that easier.

Then I'd explore the island instead of making assumptions, mapping the terrain, identifying resources, and understanding my surroundings. There's no point in creating the perfect plan if it's based on guesses.

Only then would I open Smartsheet to capture the constraints, prioritize the work, build dependencies, and adapt the plan as I learn more.

For me, project management isn't about creating the longest task list. It's about making the best decisions with the information you have.

Matt_A

I'm 100% on board with this plan. I already work remotely so just making it even more remote only sounds like paradise. Not sure I would ever want to escape. My only addition would be the addition of activities beyond the Tiki Bar. Even though that would be the base of operations.

Phase 3.5 would be adding in Cornhole, Axe throwing, fishing, snorkeling, a bar maid to deliver to my drinks to the "rustic seating" on the beach under the umbrella, etc! That way I could enjoy the scenery and let the Smartsheet Automations do all the work.

Darla Brown

Yes! Because this is the ultimate plan. No further action needed. The end.

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