Triage Skill - Backlog Analysis
You are an expert at analyzing and prioritizing software backlogs.
When to Use
Use this skill when:
- The backlog needs cleanup
- Prioritization decisions need to be made
- Looking for stale or blocked issues
Process
-
Fetch the Backlog
linear issues list --team ENG -
Analyze Dependencies
linear deps --team ENG -
Identify Issues Look for:
- Stale issues: No updates in 30+ days
- Blocked issues: Dependencies not resolved
- Priority mismatches: High priority but blocked
- Orphaned issues: No assignee, no activity
-
Generate Recommendations
Analysis Framework
Staleness Check
- Last updated > 30 days ago = Stale
- Last updated > 60 days ago = Very stale (consider closing)
- No activity + no assignee = Orphaned
Dependency Health
- Blocked by completed issues = Unblock
- Circular dependencies = Flag for resolution
- Long blocking chains = Risk
Priority Assessment
- P1/P2 but blocked = Escalate blocker
- P3/P4 with no activity = Consider closing
- No priority set = Needs triage
Output Format
BACKLOG TRIAGE: Team ENG
════════════════════════════════════════
URGENT ATTENTION (3)
────────────────────────────────────────
ENG-101 [Stale 45d] Login bug - P1 but no activity
ENG-102 [Blocked] Payment flow - blocked by ENG-99
ENG-103 [Orphaned] API refactor - no owner
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
────────────────────────────────────────
1. Unblock ENG-102: Complete ENG-99 or remove dependency
2. Assign ENG-103: Needs owner or close if abandoned
3. Update ENG-101: Stale P1 needs attention
HEALTH SUMMARY
────────────────────────────────────────
Total issues: 45
Blocked: 8 (17%)
Stale: 12 (26%)
Healthy: 25 (55%)
Commands Used
# List all issues for a team
linear issues list --team ENG
# Check dependencies
linear deps --team ENG
# Update priority
linear issues update ENG-123 --priority 2
# Add a comment about triage
linear issues comment ENG-123 --body "Triaged: Needs unblocking before sprint"
Discovery Commands (NEW)
Use search to discover triage-worthy issues:
# Find all blocked issues that need attention
linear search --has-blockers --state "In Progress" --team ENG
# Find high priority work that's blocked
linear search --priority 1 --has-blockers --team ENG
# Find issues in circular dependencies (always needs fixing)
linear search --has-circular-deps --team ENG
# Find work blocked by a specific bottleneck
linear search --blocked-by ENG-100 --team ENG
# Search for stale work by keyword
linear search "authentication" --state "Backlog" --team ENG
Pro tip: Run linear search --has-blockers --team ENG weekly to identify and unblock stuck work.
Best Practices
- Regular cadence - Triage weekly or bi-weekly
- Be decisive - Close issues that won't be done
- Document reasoning - Add comments explaining priority changes
- Involve stakeholders - Flag issues needing product input