# Linear start and target dates before graph guesswork

> Set project start and target dates early so the project graph can estimate completion from live scope and velocity instead of leaving the timeline vague.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/linear-start-and-target-dates-before-graph-guesswork/
- Source: [linear.app](https://linear.app/docs/project-overview)
- GrowthDex source hub: [Linear Docs: Project overview](/sources/linear-docs-project-overview-linear-app/)
- Last checked: 2026-06-08T12:08:13.000Z
- Rarity: uncommon
- Budget: low
- Channels: Product, Onboarding, Developer Tools
- Stages: project setup, planning proof, activation, retention


## Why this can grow

A trial workspace starts to feel real when it can answer 'when will this ship' with something more defensible than opinion. Linear's project overview makes that practical: the start date is required for project graphs, the target date is required to estimate completion, and the sidebar graph uses live scope and velocity to project progress. That turns setup metadata into proof. The buyer can see whether the new system helps planning before the full cutover happens.

## 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 linear start and target dates before graph guesswork 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 project overview requires a start date for project graphs and a target date to estimate completion, then shows a project graph in the details sidebar with scope, velocity, progress over time, and live completion predictions.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [Project overview starts with resources, docs, and milestones](/growth-ideas/project-overview-starts-with-resources-docs-and-milestones/) - same source, 2 shared channels, 2 shared stages
- [One-click deployment bridge to self-serve](/growth-ideas/one-click-deployment-bridge-to-self-serve/) - 3 shared channels, 1 shared stage
- [Milestone suggestion during issue creation](/growth-ideas/milestone-suggestion-during-issue-creation/) - 2 shared channels, 2 shared stages
- [Project document template picked at the point of work](/growth-ideas/project-document-template-picked-at-the-point-of-work/) - 2 shared channels, 2 shared stages

## Read GrowthDex essays

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

## Related GrowthDex essays

- [The switch should look like current work before the cutover](/blog/the-switch-should-look-like-current-work-before-the-cutover/) - migration, project operations, developer tools

## Advisory

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