Brainforge Knowledge

linear-template

4 min read

Linear Template: [Service Name]

Purpose: Starter epics and tickets for this offering, organized by phase. Copy this into the client’s Linear project at engagement kickoff. This is the “clone this” guide — a CSO or Delivery Lead uses it to spin up the client’s Linear project in minutes. Canonical Linear project name: [Line] — [Offering] (Canonical) — e.g. Data — dbt Audit (Canonical) Service line: [AI | Data | Strategy & Analytics] Last updated: [Date]

How to Use

  1. In Linear, open (or create) the client’s project: [Client Name] — [Offering Name]
  2. Set the Initiative to the correct service line: AI / Data / Strategy & Analytics
  3. Create Milestones matching the phases below
  4. Copy each Epic and its Issues into the project
  5. Assign DRIs, set due dates, and adjust scope for this specific engagement

Issues marked [OPTIONAL] are add-ons — include only if in scope for this engagement.

Project Setup

Linear project name: [Client] — [Offering]
Initiative: [AI | Data | Strategy & Analytics]
Team: [Delivery | Data | AI]
Labels: Service line (data, ai, strategy-analytics) plus one subservice when applicable — canonical slugs: data-platform, data-modeling, data-strategy, measurement-kpis, reporting-insights, workflow-automation, knowledge-engineering, copilots-agents (see knowledge/standards/04-prompts/tickets/linear-cleanup-taxonomy.md §4). Add offering/phase labels as needed (e.g. omni, phase-0).

Milestone: Phase 0 — [Name]

[One line: what this milestone proves or produces. Expected duration: X weeks.]

Epic: [Epic 1 name — e.g. “Kickoff & Access Setup”]

[One line: what this epic delivers.]

  • Schedule kickoff call with client stakeholders
  • Share and confirm access checklist (warehouse, APIs, tools)
  • Set up shared Slack channel / communication norms
  • Confirm project DRIs on both sides
  • [OPTIONAL] Set up project management tooling (Linear, Notion, etc.)

Epic: [Epic 2 name — e.g. “Audit / Discovery”]

[One line: what this epic delivers.]

  • [Task 1 — e.g. Document current data sources and owners]
  • [Task 2 — e.g. Run gap analysis against target state]
  • [Task 3 — e.g. Draft findings report]
  • Internal review of findings before client readout
  • Client readout and Q&A
  • Phase 0 sign-off from client (gate before Phase 1)

Phase 0 milestone deliverable: [e.g. Gap report + scope confirmed]

Milestone: Phase 1 — [Name]

[One line: what this milestone builds or demonstrates. Expected duration: X weeks.]

Epic: [Epic 3 name — e.g. “Core Build”]

[One line: what this epic delivers.]

  • [Task 1 — e.g. Set up pipeline infrastructure]
  • [Task 2 — e.g. Connect source systems]
  • [Task 3 — e.g. Build transformation layer]
  • Internal QA pass
  • [OPTIONAL] [Add-on task — e.g. Custom integration with client’s CDP]

Epic: [Epic 4 name — e.g. “Validation & Demo”]

[One line: what this epic delivers.]

  • [Task 1 — e.g. Run validation against client’s existing data]
  • [Task 2 — e.g. Document discrepancies and resolutions]
  • Prepare stakeholder demo
  • Stakeholder demo and sign-off (gate before Phase 2)

Phase 1 milestone deliverable: [e.g. Working pilot + stakeholder demo sign-off]

Milestone: Phase 2 — [Name]

[One line: what this milestone finalises, scales, or hands off. Expected duration: X weeks.]

Epic: [Epic 5 name — e.g. “Rollout”]

[One line: what this epic delivers.]

  • [Task 1 — e.g. Expand to remaining channels / use cases]
  • [Task 2 — e.g. Performance and reliability check]
  • [OPTIONAL] [Add-on — e.g. Integrate with client’s BI tool]

Epic: [Epic 6 name — e.g. “Documentation & Handoff”]

[One line: what this epic delivers.]

  • Write runbooks (ops, rollback, escalation paths)
  • Record walkthrough video (async handoff)
  • Conduct training session(s) with client team
  • 30-day support window open
  • Final acceptance sign-off
  • Internal retro — update implementation-plan.md and sop.md with learnings

Phase 2 milestone deliverable: [e.g. Full rollout + trained client team + sign-off]

Recurring / Ongoing Issues (retainer only)

Include this section only if the engagement includes an ongoing retainer phase.

Epic: [Epic 7 name — e.g. “Monthly Delivery Cycle”]

  • Weekly sync with client (standing agenda)
  • Monthly delivery review (progress, metrics, blockers)
  • Backlog grooming: prioritize next month’s work
  • [OPTIONAL] Monthly report / exec summary

Issue Labels Reference

Use consistent labels so the canonical project stays navigable:

LabelWhen to use
phase-0Issues in Phase 0
phase-1Issues in Phase 1
phase-2Issues in Phase 2
client-dependencyBlocked on client action
internalInternal Brainforge task (not client-visible)
optionalAdd-on — include only if in scope
gateMust complete before next phase begins

Engagement Retro Checklist

After each engagement that uses this template, update it with learnings:

  • Were all epics used? Remove any that are never needed.
  • Were epics missing? Add them.
  • Were any issues always blocked by the same dependency? Document it in implementation-plan.md.
  • Update the “Last updated” date above.
  • Offer (pitch): [path to offer.md]
  • SOP (delivery): [path to sop.md]
  • Implementation plan: [path to implementation-plan.md]
  • Linear canonical project: [Line] — [Offering] (Canonical) in Linear

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