The Context Switching Problem You're Living With
Developers avoid updating issues
Opening the browser, finding the issue, navigating through the UI—it's death by a thousand context switches. So they don't do it. And your board becomes fiction.
"Can you update the ticket?"
You've asked this question too many times. They promise they will. They don't. Because leaving their IDE to click through a web UI isn't just annoying—it costs them 25 minutes of focus.
Context lives outside the code
The real discussion is in Slack. The attachments are in Jira. The decisions are in someone's head. New developers spend weeks asking "why did we do it this way?"
Why Proximity Matters More Than Process
After 30 years building software, I've learned one thing: keeping the plan close to the work isn't about discipline. It's about physics.
Musicians don't keep their sheet music in a filing cabinet. They keep it on the stand, marked up with notes. The ones who improve fastest? They update their charts during rehearsal, not after.
My dad worked as a precision sheet metal mechanic. His blueprints weren't in an office—they were taped to his workbench. When something didn't match, he updated the drawing on the spot. Nobody repeated his mistakes.
Developers are the same. When issues live in a browser tab you have to hunt for, they never get updated. But put those same issues in the IDE, right next to the code? They stay current because updating them becomes effortless.
The closer your plan lives to the work, the more accurate it stays.
That's not a productivity hack. It's just how humans work.
Keep Your Tools. Lose the Browser.
Imdone syncs GitHub and Jira issues into your developers' IDE as markdown files. They update tickets without leaving their editor. Your issue tracker stays the source of truth. Your board stays accurate. No more begging for updates.
Issues update automatically
Developers update issues in their IDE. Changes sync to GitHub or Jira in real-time. Your stakeholders, PMs, and reports see accurate status—without developers touching a browser.
Issues live next to the code
GitHub and Jira issues sync into the repo as markdown files. Developers read them, update them, comment on them—right in VS Code, Vim, or any editor. Zero context switching.
Your tools stay the source of truth
Nothing changes for your process. GitHub or Jira remains the system of record. Imdone just gives developers a local workspace to interact with it—like working with code.
How It Works (The Non-Technical Version)
Developer runs one command
npm i -g imdone-cli && imdone init
That's it. Imdone pulls GitHub or Jira issues into their project as markdown files. No complex setup, no IT involvement needed.
They work like normal
Issues appear right in their editor, next to the code. They read them, update them, comment on them—all without leaving their workspace.
Everything stays synced automatically
Every change syncs back to GitHub or Jira in real-time. Your PM, stakeholders, and reporting tools see everything. Zero manual updates required.
The Real Cost of Context Switching
Research byDr. Gloria Mark, UC Irvine
If your 5-person team gets interrupted just 3 times a day asking "what's the status?", that's:
- 6.25 hours of productive time lostper day
- 31 hours per week = almost a full developer
- 125 hours per month = $15,000+ in wasted salary (at $120k/year)
Imdone pays for itself if it prevents just one interruption per day.
Fast delivery isn't enough. You need fast feedback.
Developers with AI can ship 2-3x faster. But speed doesn't matter if you're building the wrong thing, or building too much before getting feedback.
The Real Constraint
Your developers can now code faster with Claude Code. But your product is still constrained by the time it takes to learn whether you built the right thing.
"The biggest waste in software development is building the wrong product or feature."
— Marty Cagan, Silicon Valley Product Group
Break Stories into Vertical Slices
The solution isn't just faster coding—it's faster learning. Break epics into vertical slices: thin end-to-end features you can ship, test, and learn from quickly.
With issues living as markdown in your repo, you can use Claude Code to analyze stories and suggest vertical slices that deliver value incrementally.
"Make the change easy, then make the easy change... This is true for product work too: make feedback easy, then make the easy improvement."
— Kent Beck (adapted)
Tighten Your Feedback Loop
When your issues are markdown files next to your code, Claude Code can help you refine them before development starts. The result? Smaller batches, faster feedback, better products.
- Ship in days, not weeks
- Learn what works before investing months
- Pivot quickly based on real user feedback
- Reduce waste from building unused features
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives... It is the one that is most adaptable to change."
— Leon C. Megginson (paraphrasing Darwin)
What Developers and Leaders Say
"With imdone, everything is inside my workspace. I update tasks the same way I update code, fast, smooth, and without leaving my flow."
"I'm a huge markdown fan and a huge JIRA UX/UI non-fan. imdone has allowed me to stay in my happy place and leverage JIRA, but from afar."
"I was looking for something simple that could serve as a single point of reference, a master kanban… something I can update from the editor with minimal fuss and version control."
Keep Your Tools. Just Stop Fighting With Them.
Your developers get to work in their IDE. Your GitHub or Jira board stays accurate. Your process doesn't change. Everyone wins.