Jira launched in 2002 as a bug tracker. Bugzilla and plenty of others were already doing that job, so the customers, the job and the way to compete were all known. Jira won by beating them on configurability and enterprise reach. Its bet was that the buyer is the org, instead of just the PM. Admins want custom workflows, permissions and reports, and PMs will adapt to whatever process the company sets up. Jira grew into the default, and the ocean it sits in is as red as they come.
Linear (2019) went after Jira’s customers, but only a slice of them see Jira as a potential. Instead of creating a new job, it cut the existing market apart by speed, taste and strong opinions about workflow. The ocean is still red, since Linear competes head-on with Jira, Asana and ClickUp. Its bet was that PMs at startups are builders who see heavy process as a cost, that craft is a real reason to buy, and that the people using the tool can pick it without waiting for admins.
Productboard (2014) sold the work that happens before the tickets: pulling feedback into one place, prioritizing it, and connecting roadmaps to customer needs. Most PMs did that in spreadsheets and Slack threads, with no budget line for it, so Productboard had to teach buyers what the category was. Its bet was that “what to build and why” is a separate job worth paying for, and that PMs have the authority to buy software for it.
