Linear achieved something remarkable: they built the anti-Jira and turned their opinionated approach into a $400M valuation. Their secret? An onboarding strategy that skips the hand-holding entirely.
Linear's bet on minimalism might seem risky - after all, how many engineers really want fewer features? As it turns out, roughly 100% of those who've ever opened Jira.
Linear's homepage breaks every B2B SaaS rule. No feature tables, no logo parades, no pricing calculator - just a manifesto:
"Software can feel magical. Well-designed tools inspire momentum."
This isn't marketing copy - it's a belief system. Where most homepages scream features, Linear whispers "Do you believe what we believe?"
The orbiting animation isn't just beautiful - it's philosophical. The continuous motion represents their core belief: work should flow, not stop and start. By the time you click "Get Started," you're not trying a tool - you're joining a movement.
Linear's entire onboarding takes one minute. Here's exactly what you'll see:
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No role selection. No permissions setup. No workflow configuration.
Compare this to Jira: 15+ screens, department dropdowns, approval workflows. By the time you've configured Jira, Linear users have already shipped code.
Not minimalism for its own sake - it's a bet that the best onboarding is the one users don't notice.
When you enter Linear, it's not empty. They pre-populate your workspace with demo data that models perfection:
This is not sample data - it's behavioral training. You learn by seeing the ideal state, not reading about it.
The constraints themselves teach:
You can't create bad workflows because the product won't let you. Smart user onboarding follows this same principle: constrain choices to accelerate mastery.
Ready to try constraint-based onboarding for your product? Start your free Candu trial →
Every Linear empty state follows one pattern:
No secondary options. No "learn more" links. Just clarity.
The animations matter. A gentle pulse on "Create issue." Icons rotating slowly into view. These micro-interactions turn empty states from dead ends into starting points.
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After your first session, Linear sends one email. Three links:
That's it. No tips, no feature highlights, no "you're missing out."
They wait until you have context to appreciate their philosophy -- outlined in the Linear Method docs. It's like tasting the dish before asking about the recipe.
Linear's interactions create "implicit learning":
You absorb the system without realizing you're learning. That's why Linear feels so natural - the interface teaches through motion, not explanation.
Linear's approach delivers measurable impact:
Engineers threaten to quit when companies switch away. That's product-market fit.
Every screen you add is a chance to lose users. Linear proves 7 steps beats 15 every time. Audit your flow - what can you cut?
Don't explain best practices - demonstrate them. Pre-populate workspaces with perfect examples. Let users delete rather than create.
Can't vs. won't makes all the difference. When your product prevents bad patterns, you don't need to warn against them.
That welcome email can wait. Send philosophy after experience, not before. Your users will actually read it.
Every blank screen is a teaching moment. Add subtle animation and single actions. Transform dead ends into starting points.
What if your onboarding is too helpful?
In trying to accommodate everyone, you might be creating the complexity users want to escape. Linear proves the best onboarding might be the one that barely exists.
Instead of asking "How can we make our product easier to learn?" ask "How can we make our product not need learning?"
Linear's anti-onboarding works because it's not about onboarding at all. It's about building products so aligned with user needs that teaching becomes unnecessary.
They've proven that in a world of feature-bloated platforms, there's massive value in opinion, constraint, and philosophy. Your onboarding doesn't need to convince - it needs to qualify.
Because sometimes, the best onboarding is no onboarding at all.
Ready to reimagine your onboarding? Start your Candu free trial and build experiences that guide without overwhelming.
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