How to be more productive in Linear (without writing more tickets) - Voice Type blog Skip to main content Voice Type Pricing Learn Enterprise Trust Blog Blog How to be more productive in Linear (without writing more tickets) Linear productivity is mostly about clarity: fewer meetings, fewer follow-ups, and issues that are easy to execute. Here’s a practical workflow (with templates) that makes teams faster. ← Back to Blog | Home 27 Dec 2025 · 3 min read “Be more productive in Linear” rarely means “type faster.” It usually means: fewer clarification loops, fewer meetings, fewer half-finished tickets, and more issues that can be executed end-to-end. This guide is a workflow you can apply today — even if your team’s process is messy. TL;DR Productivity in Linear is clarity , not velocity theater. The biggest leverage comes from writing issues that reduce follow-up: context → scope → acceptance criteria. Linear’s own method pushes toward issues over user stories and continuous planning; those ideas map well to real teams when you keep things lightweight. If writing is the bottleneck, don’t “work more hours.” Reduce friction: draft the prose quickly, then edit for precision. 1) Make every issue answer 3 questions (context, scope, done) If someone reads your issue and still asks “what is this?” or “when is it done?” you didn’t write an issue — you wrote an invitation to a meeting. Use this structure: Context (why) One short paragraph: what problem are we solving? who is impacted? what’s the evidence (links, screenshots, metrics)? Scope (what) Bullets: in scope out of scope Done (how we know) A checklist of acceptance criteria. Linear’s own guidance leans toward writing issues that are actionable rather than story-shaped artifacts: “Write issues not user stories” (Linear Method) . 2) Use acceptance criteria to reduce back-and-forth Acceptance criteria aren’t “extra paperwork” if they prevent two days of ambiguity. Keep them lightweight: user-visible behavior edge cases (2–3 bullets) performance constraints (if relevant) Atlassian’s explainer is a good baseline reference for what acceptance criteria are and why they matter (even if you don’t use Jira): Atlassian: Acceptance criteria . 3) Write “asynchronously executable” tickets Here’s a quick test: Could a teammate pick this up tomorrow in a different timezone and ship it without calling you? If not, add: links to designs/logs expected vs actual (for bugs) a short “non-goals” list 4) Use Linear like an editor, not a form Linear’s editor supports a writing-first flow. Two useful references: Linear Docs: Editor Linear Docs: Create issues If you want to move faster inside the app, it’s also worth learning (or at least skimming) shortcut help: Linear: Keyboard shortcuts help (changelog) The point isn’t to memorize every shortcut — it’s to reduce the number of tiny UI interactions you do 200 times per week. 5) Stop “typing into the void” — use a template you can reuse Copy/paste this template into your issues: Template: Feature / improvement Context: … Goal: … Non-goals: … Approach (optional): … Acceptance criteria: [ ] … [ ] … [ ] … Links: designs, docs, PRs Template: Bug Summary: … Steps to reproduce: … … Expected vs actual: … Impact / severity: … Acceptance criteria: [ ] regression test added [ ] fix verified on … Links: logs, screenshots 6) If writing is your bottleneck, draft fast then edit Many teams move slower in Linear because writing the issue takes too long — so people don’t do it well. A practical workaround: Draft quickly (don’t self-edit mid-sentence) Then edit the 10% that matters (names, IDs, links, formatting) One way to reduce friction on macOS is speech-to-text for the first draft (especially for context and acceptance criteria), then keyboard for precise edits. If you want the exact setup in Linear: /how-to/linear-mac-dictation 7) “Vibe coding” makes tickets more important, not less If your team is using AI-first editors or “vibe coding” workflows, the bottleneck shifts: less time typing code from scratch more time specifying what should happen more need for a review checklist That makes clear issues and acceptance criteria even more valuable. Guide: /blog/vibe-coding Keep going Linear setup (Mac): /how-to/linear-mac-dictation GitHub Issues (Mac): /how-to/github-issues-mac-dictation Jira (Mac): /how-to/jira-mac-dictation Remote work: /solutions/remote-work Sources Linear Method: Write issues not user stories Linear Docs: Create issues Linear Docs: Editor Linear: Keyboard shortcuts help Acceptance criteria overview: Atlassian Product/process talk: Karri Saarinen (CEO of Linear) — Product Management best practices (YouTube) Previous Ergonomic split keyboard: benefits, downsides, and what the evidence says Next Typing pain in fingers: what helps (and when to use voice typing) Related articles Ergonomics Ergonomic split keyboard: benefits, downsides, and what the evidence says An ergonomic split keyboard can improve wrist and shoulder posture — but it won’t fix typing volume. Here’s what split keyboard ergonomics really change, what studies suggest, and when voice typing helps more. Ergonomics Typing pain in fingers: what helps (and when to use voice typing) If you get typing pain in fingers, the fix is rarely “one perfect keyboard.” Try load management: reduce keystrokes, adjust setup, and use speech-to-text for drafts. Here’s a practical approach with research + community references. Voice Type Learn All guides Voice typing on Mac Speech to text on Mac Answers (quick fixes) Voice Type vs Apple Dictation Dragon alternatives For writers For developers For remote work For productivity For RSI Notion on Mac Latency demo Press kit Company Enterprise Trust Center Pricing Blog Company Terms of service Privacy policy Contact us © 2026 Careless Whisper Inc.