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:
- Ensure a Linear issue exists for the work
- Mark the issue as "In Progress"
- Only then begin writing code
Rule 2: Mark Work Complete Immediately
When work is done, immediately update Linear.
- Commit the code changes
- Mark the Linear issue as "Done"
- 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
- Plan mode entry - Skill
linear-plan-modeasks if plan should be tracked in Linear - Plan development - As you write the plan file, Linear issues are created/updated
- Plan sections → Sub-issues - Each major section becomes a Linear sub-issue
- 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
| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| linear-mvp-project-creator | Creates parent issue + sub-issues from plan |
| linear-project-context | Checks for existing feature issues |
| linear-plan-sync | Syncs plan file changes to Linear |
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 executionexecute-issueagent - Automatically manages status transitionslinear-plan-modeskill - Maintains plans in Linear during plan mode
Remember: Linear is the source of truth. Keep it accurate.