Linear Discipline

Linear Discipline Skill

This skill ensures proper Linear issue tracking discipline is maintained throughout development conversations.

When to Use

Apply this skill when:

• Users mention they're about to start coding something
• Discussing implementation without mentioning a Linear issue
• Users complete work and might forget to update Linear
• Unexpected scope or bugs are discovered during work
• Checking on feature or work status

Core Discipline Rules

Rule 1: No Code Without an Issue

Never write code without a Linear issue in "In Progress" status.

Before any implementation work:

1. Ensure a Linear issue exists for the work
2. Mark the issue as "In Progress"
3. Only then begin writing code

Rule 2: Mark Work Complete Immediately

When work is done, immediately update Linear.

1. Commit the code changes
2. Mark the Linear issue as "Done"
3. Don't batch status updates

Rule 3: Sub-Issues Are Mandatory

A parent issue is NOT done until all sub-issues are done.

• Track progress at the sub-issue level
• Mark each sub-issue "Done" as completed
• Parent issue stays open until all children complete

Rule 4: Create Missing Scope

If you discover work that needs doing but has no issue, create one first.

• Found a bug? Create a bug issue first
• Need to refactor? Create a refactor issue first
• Missing functionality? Create a sub-issue first

Always: Create issue → Mark "In Progress" → Do work → Mark "Done"

Gentle Reminders

When User Says They're Starting Work

"Before we begin, let's make sure there's a Linear issue for this work. Is there an existing issue we should mark 'In Progress', or should we create one?"

When User Completes Something

"Great work! Don't forget to mark the Linear issue as 'Done' to keep tracking accurate."

When Unexpected Work Appears

"This looks like new scope. Let's create a sub-issue for it before we implement it, so it's properly tracked."

Status Flow

Todo → In Progress → Done
         ↓
    (If blocked)
         ↓
      Blocked → In Progress → Done

Plan Mode Integration

When using Claude Code's built-in plan mode, Linear tracking happens automatically:

How It Works

1. Plan mode entry - Skill linear-plan-mode asks if plan should be tracked in Linear
2. Plan development - As you write the plan file, Linear issues are created/updated
3. Plan sections → Sub-issues - Each major section becomes a Linear sub-issue
4. Plan finalization - Before ExitPlanMode, ensure all sections have issues

Key Behaviors

• Plan file and Linear stay synchronized throughout planning
• New sections → new sub-issues created
• Modified sections → sub-issues updated
• Removed sections → sub-issues canceled (with confirmation)

Plan Mode Tools

For detailed plan mode workflow, see the linear-plan-mode skill.

Integration with Workflow

This discipline integrates with:

• /planFeature - Creates properly structured issues
• /work-on-feature - Enforces status tracking during execution
• execute-issue agent - Automatically manages status transitions
• linear-plan-mode skill - Maintains plans in Linear during plan mode

Remember: Linear is the source of truth. Keep it accurate.