Linear + Cursor Sprint Toolkit

A Cursor AI-powered toolkit for engineering team leads. Automate standups, sprint planning, retros, and backlog grooming with Linear integration.

---

What Is This?

This toolkit provides:

• Cursor AI Commands — Slash commands for daily/weekly team ceremonies
• Linear CLI Integration — npm scripts to query tickets from the terminal
• Templates — Reusable templates for meetings and processes
• Documentation Structure — Organized folders for team docs, meetings, and focus notes

Built for engineering team leads who use Linear for task tracking and Cursor as their IDE.

---

Getting Started

1. Clone or Fork This Repository

git clone https://github.com/atharrison/linear-cursor-sprint-toolkit.git
cd linear-cursor-sprint-toolkit

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Install Linear CLI

# Install via official installer script
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/schpet/linear-cli/releases/latest/download/linear-installer.sh | sh

# Add to your PATH (add to ~/.zshrc)
source $HOME/.cargo/env

4. Configure Environment

# Get your API key from: https://linear.app/settings/api
echo 'LINEAR_API_KEY=lin_api_your_key_here' > .env

5. Configure Linear for Your Team

npm run config

This will prompt you to select your workspace and team.

6. Customize for Your Team

1. Update docs/team-roster.md with your team members
2. Update package.json with npm scripts for your team members
3. Update .cursor/commands/ to reference your team's workflows
4. Update docs/processes/sprint-workflow.md with your ceremony times

---

Daily Workflow

Morning (Before Standup)

Run /standup-prep to prepare for the daily standup:

• Creates a standup file with current ticket status
• Identifies questions to ask each team member
• Flags stale items or blockers

Standup

Run your daily standup (live or async). Take notes in the standup file.

After Standup

Run /daily-status to synthesize your notes into a sprint status update.

Throughout the Day

Run /focus-today to identify your priorities as team lead.

---

Cursor Commands Reference

Access these commands with /command-name in Cursor.

Sprint Execution (Daily)

Command	When to Use	Output
/standup-prep	Before standup	meetings/cycle-XX/YYYY-MM-DD-standup.md
/daily-status	After standup	Updates standup file with synthesis
/focus-today	Anytime	focus/YYYY-MM/YYYY-MM-DD-focus.md

Sprint Health (Weekly)

Command	When to Use	Output
/sprint-health	Mid-sprint check	meetings/cycle-XX/YYYY-MM-DD-sprint-health.md
/pending-reviews	When reviews pile up	Summary in chat
/analyze-tickets	Deep dive on work	Updates sprint status

Queue Management

Command	When to Use	Output
/triage-review	Incoming issues	meetings/cycle-XX/YYYY-MM-DD-triage-review.md
/ready-to-deploy-review	End of sprint	meetings/cycle-XX/YYYY-MM-DD-ready-to-deploy-review.md
/backlog-grooming	Bi-weekly or when team needs work	meetings/cycle-XX/YYYY-MM-DD-backlog-grooming.md

Sprint Lifecycle

Command	When to Use	Output
/sprint-planning	First day of sprint	meetings/cycle-XX/YYYY-MM-DD-sprint-planning.md
/sprint-retro	End of sprint	meetings/cycle-XX/YYYY-MM-DD-retro.md
/end-of-sprint-summary	After retro	meetings/cycle-XX/TEAM-cycle-XX-summary.md

Project Lifecycle

Command	When to Use	Output
/project-kickoff	Starting new project	meetings/cycle-XX/YYYY-MM-DD-project-kickoff-[name].md
/engineering-design	After kickoff, before tickets	meetings/cycle-XX/YYYY-MM-DD-engineering-design-[name].md

---

Linear CLI Scripts

Query Linear directly from the terminal:

# Sprint overview
npm run sprint              # All active work
npm run issues:inprogress   # In-progress/review items
npm run issues:backlog      # Backlog items

# By team member (customize in package.json)
npm run issues:[member]     # Individual's work

# Queues
npm run triage              # Triage queue
npm run ready-to-deploy     # Items waiting to close

# Individual tickets
npm run issue -- TICKET-123    # View ticket details
npm run issue:web -- TICKET-123  # Open in browser

---

Repository Structure

├── README.md                    # This guide
├── package.json                 # npm scripts for Linear CLI
├── docs/
│   ├── setup.md                 # Installation & setup
│   ├── team-roster.md           # Team members & working agreements
│   ├── processes/               # Team processes
│   │   └── sprint-workflow.md   # Ceremonies, sizing, DoR/DoD
│   └── references/              # Reference documents
├── meetings/                    # Team-centered notes
│   └── cycle-XX/                # Per-sprint folders
├── focus/                       # Personal daily focus notes
│   └── YYYY-MM/
├── .cursor/commands/            # Cursor AI commands
├── templates/                   # Reusable templates
├── scripts/                     # Utility scripts
└── generated/                   # Generated files (PDFs, etc.)

---

Ticket Sizing

Use t-shirt sizes with target cycle times:

Size	Target Time	Use For
XS	< 1 day	Quick fix, config change
S	1 day	Small feature, simple bug
M	2 days	Standard feature work
L	4 days	Complex feature
XL	8 days	Large scope — consider breaking down

Most tickets should be S or M. If it's XL, break it into smaller pieces.

---

Guiding Principles

1. Clarity over speed — Well-scoped work moves faster than rushed ambiguity
2. Unblock ruthlessly — Your expertise should accelerate, not gatekeep
3. Confidence through structure — People execute best when they know what's expected
4. Challenge the process — If something slows us down, fix it
5. Empower the team — It's OK to push back on unclear requirements

---

License

MIT License — Feel free to use, modify, and share.

---

This repository is a living guide — update it as your processes evolve.