# Clean-break import pilot for switchers

> For a messy incumbent migration, import the live work first and treat old clutter as archive material unless the pilot proves the team truly needs everything.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/clean-break-import-pilot-for-switchers/
- Source: [linear.app](https://linear.app/docs/import-issues)
- GrowthDex source hub: [Linear Docs](/sources/linear-docs-linear-app/)
- Last checked: 2026-05-25
- Rarity: rare
- Budget: low
- Channels: Product, Onboarding, Sales
- Stages: activation, consideration, conversion, b2b, developer-products, onboarding


## Why this can grow

Full migrations feel safe but often drag bad structure into the new tool. A clean-break import pilot lowers risk: a few teams move first, active work comes over, stale items go to archive or CSV, and the team sees the new workflow before committing the whole org. That reduces setup friction and makes the switch feel reversible instead of traumatic.

## Ian's take

From scaling consumer platforms across MENA and Southeast Asia, my default is to distrust growth work that only looks good in a slide. My bias is to treat this as a small market test first. Make the audience narrow, make the promise concrete, and let the first real response decide whether it deserves more work. For activation, the useful question is not whether users liked the page. It is whether they got to the first meaningful win faster. For this tactic, I would watch one clear growth signal before putting more time or budget behind it.

## Action plan

1. Define one narrow startup segment where clean-break import pilot for switchers can create a measurable lift.
2. Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the Product and Onboarding channel.
3. Use the evidence from linear.app to set the first version of the message, format, and audience.
4. Launch a small test for 7 to 14 days with one success metric: one measurable growth signal.
5. Review the result, keep the winning message, remove weak variants, and turn the learning into a repeatable growth playbook.

## Source-backed example

Linear's importer guide explicitly suggests running a pilot with a few teams and says some organizations use the move as a clean break, importing only what is necessary while leaving long-resolved work behind.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [Resettable demo workspace before signup](/growth-ideas/resettable-demo-workspace-before-signup/) - same source, 2 shared channels, 2 shared stages
- [Live onboarding session before workspace creation](/growth-ideas/live-onboarding-session-before-workspace-creation/) - same source, 2 shared channels, 1 shared stage
- [Reviewable import assistant with bulk reimport safety](/growth-ideas/reviewable-import-assistant-with-bulk-reimport-safety/) - same source, 2 shared channels, 1 shared stage
- [Synced customer attributes for priority views](/growth-ideas/synced-customer-attributes-for-priority-views/) - same source, 2 shared channels

## Read GrowthDex essays

Browse the plain-English essay index at [GrowthDex Blog](/blog/).

## Related GrowthDex essays

- [The switch usually needs a map before a pitch](/blog/the-switch-usually-needs-a-map-before-a-pitch/) - switcher intent, product marketing, SEO

## Advisory

If you want help turning this into a working growth system, Ian Goh offers advisory at https://iangoh.com/advisory.