Linear Execution Guide: Audit & Issue Creation
Date: 2025-11-10 Purpose: Step-by-step guide to audit Linear and create all MVP issues Owner: Senior Product ManagerOverview
This guide provides commands to:- Audit current Linear state
- Create Q1 2025 MVP project structure
- Create all 10 epics and 63+ feature issues
- Set up dependencies and relationships
Phase 1: Audit Current State
Step 1.1: List All Teams
Command:Step 1.2: Get Team Details
Command (for each team):- Available states (Backlog, Todo, In Progress, Done, etc.)
- State IDs
- Workflow configuration
Step 1.3: Search Existing Issues
Command:- Existing issue count
- Existing issue IDs and titles
- Any conflicts or duplicates
Step 1.4: List Existing Projects
Command:Phase 2: Create Project Structure
Step 2.1: Create Q1 2025 MVP Launch Project
Command:Phase 3: Create Epic-Level Issues (10 Epics)
Epic 1: Photo Management
Command:Epic 2: AI Journaling Engine
Command:Epic 3: Emotion Tagging
Command:Epic 4: Timeline View
Command:Epic 5: Entry Detail View
Command:Epic 6: Search & Filter
Command:Epic 7: Authentication & Profile
Command:Epic 8: Onboarding
Command:Epic 9: Settings & Preferences
Command:Epic 10: Freemium Gates
Command:Phase 4: Create Feature-Level Issues
Notes on Feature Issues
- Total Issues: 40 user stories + 23 technical issues = 63 issues
- Each issue should be created with:
- Title format: “Story X.Y: [Feature Name]” or “LINEAR-X: [Feature Name]”
- Full description from implementation plan
- Parent ID linking to epic
- Priority, estimate, team labels
- Acceptance criteria in description
Example Feature Issue Creation
Command (for Story 1.1):Batch Creation Strategy
Recommended Approach:- Create all 10 epics first (record IDs)
- Create feature issues in epic order
- Link each feature issue to parent epic
- Add dependencies between issues as needed
- Epics: “[EPIC] Epic Name”
- User Stories: “Story X.Y: Feature Name”
- Technical Issues: “LINEAR-XX: Feature Name”
Phase 5: Set Up Relationships & Dependencies
Parent-Child Relationships
Already set during creation viaparent_id parameter.
Cross-Epic Dependencies
Command (example):Phase 6: Add Labels and Custom Fields
Labels to Apply
Epic Labels (apply to all issues in epic):epic:photo-managementepic:ai-engineepic:emotion-taggingepic:timelineepic:entry-detailepic:search-filterepic:auth-profileepic:onboardingepic:settingsepic:freemium
phase:1-foundationphase:2-core-journalingphase:3-details-searchphase:4-monetizationphase:5-qa-launch
team:productteam:designteam:backendteam:frontendteam:qateam:devops
Apply Labels Command
Command:Phase 7: Populate PROJECT_OVERVIEW.md
After all issues created, update the project tracking document. Update:- Linear project URL
- All epic URLs
- Key feature issue URLs
- Current status
- Agent assignments
Audit Report Template
After completing all phases, create an audit report:Success Criteria
Audit Complete ✓
- All teams listed and IDs recorded
- All existing issues reviewed
- No conflicts with existing work
- Team states and workflows documented
Project Created ✓
- Q1 2025 MVP Launch project exists
- Project linked to correct team
- Target date set to April 2025
Epics Created ✓
- All 10 epics created
- Each epic has full description
- Each epic linked to project
- All epic IDs recorded
Features Created ✓
- All 63 feature issues created
- Each issue has full description with acceptance criteria
- Each issue linked to parent epic
- All issue IDs recorded
Relationships Set ✓
- Parent-child relationships established
- Cross-epic dependencies noted
- Blocking relationships documented
Labels Applied ✓
- Epic labels on all issues
- Phase labels on all issues
- Team labels on appropriate issues
- Priority labels on all issues
Documentation Updated ✓
- PROJECT_OVERVIEW.md updated with Linear URLs
- Audit report created
- Next steps clearly defined
Troubleshooting
Issue: Team ID not found
Solution: Runmcp__linear__list_teams again and verify team exists
Issue: Parent ID invalid
Solution: Verify epic was created successfully and use correct IDIssue: Rate limit hit
Solution: Pause for 1 minute, then continue. Linear API has rate limits.Issue: Description too long
Solution: Shorten description or move details to initial commentIssue: State ID not valid
Solution: Usemcp__linear__get_team to see valid state IDs for team
Execution Checklist
- Phase 1: Audit current state (Steps 1.1-1.4)
- Phase 2: Create project (Step 2.1)
- Phase 3: Create 10 epics (record all IDs)
- Phase 4: Create 63 feature issues (link to epics)
- Phase 5: Set up dependencies
- Phase 6: Apply labels
- Phase 7: Update PROJECT_OVERVIEW.md
- Phase 8: Create audit report
- Phase 9: Assign issues to agents
- Phase 10: Begin Phase 1 development
This execution guide is ready. Proceed with Linear MCP tool execution.