Startups Revert to Linear After Custom AI Tools Fail

A non-developer QA lead at a startup created a custom project management tool that replaced JIRA, Linear, and Trello and initially offered more detail. The team later abandoned it because ongoing maintenance consumed significant developer time and attention. Observers including Gergely Orosz and Aaron Levie note that custom AI-coded systems shift updates, oncall, and compliance burdens onto the company, diverting focus from core business priorities. Multiple accounts confirm the startup returned to Linear to restore productivity.