Tool Spotlight: Linear
Welcome to The Founder's Weekly
This week, we're diving deep into Linear, the issue tracking tool that's won over thousands of engineering teams. If you've ever felt like your project management tool was built to slow you down rather than speed you up, this one's for you.
Why Linear Stands Out
Linear isn't just another project management tool. It's what happens when designers who care about speed and developers who hate slow software team up to build something better.
The difference? Everything is instant. Click a button, create an issue, assign a teammate - all of it happens in milliseconds. No loading spinners. No waiting for the page to refresh. Just pure, unadulterated speed.
Key Features for Startups
1. Blazing Fast Performance Sub-50ms response times aren't just a nice-to-have - they compound over time. When your tool is fast, you actually want to use it.
2. Keyboard-First Design
Every single action has a keyboard shortcut. Create an issue? C. Assign it? A. Close it? E. Power users can fly through their work without touching a mouse.
3. GitHub Integration Two-way sync with pull requests means your code and your issues stay in perfect harmony. No more "which PR was this for?" moments.
4. Cycles (Sprints Done Right) Sprint planning that doesn't feel like punishment. Set your cycle duration, drag issues in, and Linear handles the rest. No ceremony, just results.
Real Founder Experience
"Switching to Linear cut our planning meetings in half. The keyboard shortcuts alone save me 30 minutes a day. More importantly, the team actually enjoys using it - that's never happened with any other PM tool."
— Sarah Chen, Founder @ TechCo
Getting Started
Start with Linear's free tier:
Once you hit the limit, paid plans start at $8/user/month (billed annually).
The Bottom Line
Linear is opinionated software. It won't let you customize everything. It won't integrate with every tool under the sun. But what it does, it does exceptionally well.
If you're tired of project management tools that feel like they were built in 2010, give Linear a shot. Your keyboard-loving developers will thank you.
Next Week: We're covering the great authentication showdown - Auth0 vs. Clerk vs. Supabase Auth. Which one should you pick for your startup?
Stay sharp, The Startup Starter Kit Team
P.S. Want us to spotlight a specific tool? Hit reply and let us know what you're curious about.