Linear Feature Planning
Great features start as rough ideas. Teams that plan them in Linear turn those ideas into clear projects with owners, dates, and issues. A repeatable path keeps scope under control and keeps everyone aligned.
The Planning Path
IDEA ──► DEFINE ──► BREAK DOWN ──► SCHEDULE ──► BUILD ──► REVIEW │ │ │ │ │ │ Issue Project Milestones Cycles Statuses Project in description and issues and and PRs update Triage + goal estimates
Everyday Comparison
Planning a home extension follows the same order. The family discusses the wish for a new room, an architect drafts the goal and budget, the builder lists the tasks, the schedule assigns each task to a week, the crew builds, and the family inspects the result. Skipping the planning stage leads to costly changes later.
Capture the Idea
Create an issue for the idea and send it to triage. Describe the user problem in plain words. Add notes about who asked for it and why it matters. Do not describe the solution yet.
Define the Project
Approved ideas become projects. Write a short description with four parts.
| Part | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | What pain do users feel? | Users cannot export their reports |
| Goal | What outcome do we want? | Users download reports in one click |
| Scope | What belongs in and out? | PDF and CSV in; Excel out |
| Success measure | How do we know it worked? | 40 percent of active users export monthly |
Name a lead, set a target date, and invite the teams involved.
Break Down the Work
Create Milestones
Split the project into two to four stages, such as "Design approved", "Core export working", and "Ready for release".
Write Issues
List the tasks inside each milestone. Keep each issue small enough for one person to finish in a few days. Use sub-issues for larger pieces.
Estimate and Order
Give each issue an estimate and put risky items early. Early risk exposure gives the team time to adapt.
Schedule Through Cycles
Move issues from the project into upcoming cycles. Compare planned points with the team's usual velocity. Leave breathing room for bugs and surprises.
Project: Report Export (Target: Jun 20) Cycle 14 Design + data model 12 points Cycle 15 PDF export 14 points Cycle 16 CSV export + tests 13 points Cycle 17 Polish + release prep 8 points
Share Progress
Post a project update every week or two. Mark the health as On track, At risk, or Off track and explain the reason in two or three sentences. Stakeholders read the update and skip extra meetings.
Close the Loop
Compare the result with the success measure after release. Write a brief summary of lessons learned. Attach it to the project so future teams find it.
Habits for Better Planning
- Write the problem before the solution.
- Limit scope with an explicit out-of-scope list.
- Review the plan with engineers and designers before committing to a date.
- Cut scope instead of extending dates when time runs short.
Manage Scope During Delivery
New requests appear while a project runs. Add each request as a separate issue and decide whether it belongs in the current project. Use the scope definition as the judge. Items outside the scope go to the backlog or a follow-up project.
Spot Risk Early
Watch for issues that stay in progress too long, milestones with falling progress, and blocked work that nobody owns. Raise these signs in project updates immediately.
Involve the Right People
Invite designers, engineers, support staff, and sales contacts at the definition stage. Early input prevents rework. Each group sees the feature from a different angle, and the combined view produces a stronger plan.