linear-project-manager

Linear Project Manager Pro Persona

Overview

The Linear Project Manager Pro persona provides a comprehensive project management suite that integrates Linear with Slack, GitHub, time tracking, and documentation management. It enables end-to-end project coordination, from issue tracking to team communication and code deployment.

Purpose

This enhanced persona is designed for project managers, engineering leads, and team coordinators who need to:

• Manage issues, projects, and teams within Linear
• Coordinate team communication through Slack
• Track code changes and deployments via GitHub
• Monitor time spent and team velocity
• Maintain comprehensive project documentation
• Create a unified project management workflow

Target Audience

• Project Managers
• Engineering Managers
• Scrum Masters
• Team Leads
• Product Owners
• DevOps Coordinators
• Technical Program Managers

Prerequisites

• Linear account with API access
• Slack workspace with bot permissions
• GitHub account with repository access
• Time tracking system API access (optional)
• Local filesystem access for documentation

Installation

1. Set up your environment variables:

   # Linear Configuration
   export LINEAR_API_TOKEN="your_linear_api_token_here"
   
   # Slack Configuration
   export SLACK_BOT_TOKEN="your_slack_bot_token_here"
   export SLACK_TEAM_ID="your_slack_team_id_here"
   
   # GitHub Configuration
   export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="your_github_pat_here"
   
   # Time Tracking Configuration (optional)
   export TIME_TRACKING_API_KEY="your_time_tracking_key_here"
   
   # Documentation Root (optional, defaults to ./project-docs)
   export PROJECT_ROOT="./project-docs"

2. Install the persona configuration in your Claude Desktop MCP settings

Included MCP Servers

1. linear

The Linear MCP server provides comprehensive access to Linear's project management features:

• Source: @modelcontextprotocol/server-linear (official MCP server)
• Transport: stdio
• Authentication: Requires LINEAR_API_TOKEN environment variable

2. slack

The Slack MCP server enables team communication and notifications:

• Source: @modelcontextprotocol/server-slack
• Transport: stdio
• Authentication: Requires SLACK_BOT_TOKEN and SLACK_TEAM_ID

3. github

The GitHub MCP server provides repository and code management:

• Source: @modelcontextprotocol/server-github
• Transport: stdio
• Authentication: Requires GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN

4. time_tracker

Time tracking server for monitoring work hours and velocity:

• Source: @modelcontextprotocol/server-time-tracking
• Transport: stdio
• Authentication: Requires TIME_TRACKING_API_KEY

5. filesystem

Local filesystem access for documentation management:

• Source: @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem
• Transport: stdio
• Configuration: Restricted to project documentation paths

Available Toolsets

1. intake-triage-assignment

Tools for creating and classifying issues, assigning to team members, and linking to projects.

Tools:

• linear.create_issue - Create new issues with details
• linear.add_comment - Add comments to existing issues
• linear.list_members - List team members for assignment
• linear.list_projects - View available projects
• linear.list_teams - List teams for assignment

Common Workflows:

• Create a new bug report and assign to developer
• Add priority and labels to incoming issues
• Link issues to appropriate projects and milestones

2. progress-queries-and-reports

Tools for querying issues, fetching details, and generating project status reports.

Tools:

• linear.list_issues - Query issues with filters
• linear.get_issue - Get detailed issue information
• linear.list_projects - View project scope
• linear.get_project - Get project details

Common Workflows:

• Generate weekly status reports
• Track issues by status or assignee
• Review project health and progress

3. roadmap-and-team-operations

Tools for managing teams, projects, and coordinating upcoming work.

Tools:

• linear.list_teams - View team structure
• linear.list_projects - Explore project landscape
• linear.list_issues - Review team backlogs
• linear.add_comment - Communicate with stakeholders

Common Workflows:

• Review team capacity and workload
• Plan sprint content and priorities
• Coordinate cross-team dependencies

4. slack-communication

Tools for team communication, notifications, and coordination through Slack.

Tools:

• slack.send_message - Post messages to channels or DMs
• slack.list_channels - View available channels
• slack.list_users - Find team members
• slack.get_channel_history - Review past conversations
• slack.create_channel - Create new project channels
• slack.add_reaction - React to messages

Common Workflows:

• Post daily standup summaries
• Send sprint completion notifications
• Alert team about critical issues
• Coordinate emergency responses

5. github-integration

Tools for linking code changes with project management.

Tools:

• github.create_issue - Create GitHub issues from Linear
• github.list_pull_requests - Track PR status
• github.get_pull_request - Get PR details
• github.create_pull_request_comment - Add PR feedback
• github.list_repositories - View available repos
• github.get_repository - Get repo information

Common Workflows:

• Link Linear issues to GitHub PRs
• Track deployment status
• Monitor code review progress
• Identify technical blockers

6. time-tracking-analysis

Tools for tracking time, analyzing velocity, and measuring productivity.

Tools:

• time_tracker.start_timer - Begin time tracking
• time_tracker.stop_timer - End time tracking
• time_tracker.log_entry - Manual time entry
• time_tracker.get_report - Generate time reports
• time_tracker.list_entries - View time logs

Common Workflows:

• Track time per Linear issue
• Generate sprint velocity reports
• Identify process bottlenecks
• Measure team productivity

7. document-management

Tools for creating and managing project documentation.

Tools:

• filesystem.read_file - Read existing documentation
• filesystem.write_file - Create new documents
• filesystem.list_directory - Browse document structure
• filesystem.create_directory - Organize documentation

Common Workflows:

• Write sprint retrospectives
• Maintain project wiki
• Create onboarding guides
• Document architectural decisions

Common Use Cases

1. Sprint Management

• Create sprint in Linear
• Assign issues to team members
• Post sprint kickoff in Slack
• Link GitHub PRs to Linear issues
• Track time spent on tasks
• Generate sprint reports

2. Daily Standups

• Query yesterday's completed issues
• Identify today's priorities
• Check PR review status
• Post summary to Slack channel
• Update team on blockers

3. Release Coordination

• Track release-tagged issues in Linear
• Monitor GitHub deployment PRs
• Communicate release status in Slack
• Document release notes
• Track release preparation time

4. Cross-Team Collaboration

• Create shared Linear projects
• Set up dedicated Slack channels
• Link related GitHub repositories
• Share documentation across teams
• Track cross-team dependencies

5. Performance Analytics

• Analyze issue completion rates
• Calculate team velocity
• Identify bottlenecks in workflow
• Generate time tracking reports
• Share insights with stakeholders

Configuration

Required environment variables:

• LINEAR_API_TOKEN: Your Linear API token (required)
• SLACK_BOT_TOKEN: Slack bot OAuth token (required for Slack features)
• SLACK_TEAM_ID: Your Slack workspace ID (required for Slack features)
• GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN: GitHub PAT with repo access (required for GitHub features)
• TIME_TRACKING_API_KEY: Time tracking service API key (optional)
• PROJECT_ROOT: Root directory for documentation (optional, defaults to ./project-docs)

Best Practices

1. Integrated Workflow

   • Link Linear issues to GitHub PRs using issue IDs
   • Post Linear issue updates to relevant Slack channels
   • Document decisions in project wiki

2. Communication Strategy

   • Use Slack for immediate notifications
   • Keep Linear comments for permanent record
   • Document architectural decisions in filesystem

3. Time Management

   • Track time against specific Linear issues
   • Review velocity trends weekly
   • Adjust sprint capacity based on data

4. Documentation

   • Maintain README files for each project
   • Document sprint retrospectives
   • Create runbooks for common procedures

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

• Verify all tokens are correctly set in environment
• Check token permissions match required scopes
• Ensure tokens haven't expired

Integration Issues

• Verify Slack bot is added to channels
• Check GitHub PAT has repo access
• Ensure Linear workspace allows API access

Performance Issues

• Limit concurrent API calls
• Use filtering to reduce data volumes
• Cache frequently accessed data locally

Support

For issues with:

• This persona configuration: Open an issue in the awesome-mcp-personas repository
• Individual MCP servers: Check respective @modelcontextprotocol/server-* documentation
• API services: Refer to Linear, Slack, GitHub, etc. documentation