Migrating to Linear 101

Linear has become the go-to project management tool for high-performing engineering teams. Its keyboard-first design and lightning-fast interface make it a pleasure to use, but migrating from another tool can be daunting.

Start with a pilot team. Rather than trying to migrate your entire organization at once, select a small, enthusiastic team to pilot Linear. This allows you to work out any issues and develop internal champions who can help with the broader rollout.

Import your existing data. Linear supports imports from Jira, GitHub Issues, Asana, and more. While the import won't be perfect, it's a great starting point. Plan to spend some time cleaning up and reorganizing after the import.

Establish your workflow. Linear is opinionated about how teams should work. Take advantage of this by establishing clear cycles, setting up templates for common issue types, and defining your team's workflow states.

Train your team. The biggest challenge with any new tool is adoption. Invest time in training sessions, create documentation, and be available to answer questions. The speed benefits of Linear only materialize if everyone is using it correctly.