Backlog

Linear Backlog Management

Keeps your Linear backlog healthy (~50 items) by analyzing the codebase and generating contextually relevant enhancement ideas.

Project Configuration

Read project configuration from .claude/project.json:

• linear.teamId, linear.teamName, linear.projectId

If .claude/project.json doesn't exist, suggest running /setup-project first.

Target Count: 50 items in Backlog (configurable — adjust as needed).

Instructions for Claude

Step 0: Load Configuration

PROJECT_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd)

Read $PROJECT_ROOT/.claude/project.json.

Step 1: Analyze Current Platform

Understand the platform's current capabilities by:

1. Reading key files in the codebase (top-level entry points, route files, schema files)
2. Checking for a REFERENCES/ directory in the project root
3. Understanding the domain from package.json, README, and code structure

Step 2: Query Current Backlog

Use mcp__linear__list_issues:
- team: [from config.linear.teamName]
- project: [from config.linear.projectId]
- state: "Backlog"
- includeArchived: false
- limit: 250

Calculate: itemsToCreate = 50 - currentBacklogCount

If backlog already has 50+ items:

Backlog is already at target size (X items)
No new items needed!

Step 3: Generate New Feature Ideas

Generate itemsToCreate features that:

Quality Criteria:

• Are contextually relevant to the project's domain
• Build on existing features found in the codebase
• Address real pain points for the target users
• Are not duplicates of existing backlog items
• Range from quick wins to strategic initiatives

Feature Categories:

• Workflow automation and efficiency
• Analytics and reporting
• Communication and collaboration
• Integration with relevant tools
• Mobile and accessibility improvements
• Security and compliance enhancements
• User experience polish
• Growth and engagement features

Each Feature Must Include:

• Name: Clear, concise title (50 chars max)
• Description: 2-3 sentences explaining what it does and why it's valuable
• Priority: 0=None, 1=Urgent, 2=High, 3=Normal, 4=Low
• Labels: "Feature" + additional relevant labels

Step 4: Add Features to Linear

For each generated feature:

Use mcp__linear__create_issue:
- team: [from config.linear.teamName]
- project: [from config.linear.projectId]
- title: [feature name]
- description: [feature description]
- state: "Backlog"
- labels: ["Feature", and others]
- priority: [0-4]

Add a small delay between calls to be respectful of rate limits.

Step 5: Report Results

=== Backlog Maintenance Complete ===

Before: X items in backlog
Created: Y new features
After: Z items in backlog (target: 50)

New Features Added:
1. **ABC-XX**: Feature Name (Priority: High)
   Description...

2. **ABC-XX**: Feature Name (Priority: Medium)
   Description...

Use /feature-from-backlog to refine and start working on any of these!

Example Feature Ideas

Good Examples:

• "Bulk Status Updates" — Update status for multiple records at once with reason tracking. Saves time when processing batches.
• "Network Visualization Map" — Visual graph showing relationships and patterns. Helps identify top connections.
• "Automated Onboarding Email Series" — 5-email sequence triggered on signup with personalization tokens.

Bad Examples (Too Generic):

• "Make UI Better" — Not specific enough
• "Add API Endpoints" — Not user-facing value
• "Fix Bugs" — Not a feature

Feature Distribution Guidelines

Aim for a balanced backlog:

• High Priority (20%): Major features, competitive necessities
• Medium Priority (50%): Standard improvements
• Low Priority (30%): Polish, edge cases, experiments

Error Handling

If Linear API fails:

Failed to connect to Linear
Check MCP server configuration

Success Criteria

• Backlog has ~50 items
• All new items have valid priorities
• No duplicate feature names
• All features are contextually relevant

Integration with Other Skills

• Start backlog item: /feature-from-backlog
• View all issues: /project-status