Purpose
To provide a structured onboarding workflow for developers who join a project already in progress.
This ensures they quickly gain context, access, and alignment without slowing down the existing team or repeating past mistakes.
Scope
- Applies to all developers joining ongoing projects (mid-sprint, mid-release, or maintenance).
- Used by Project Leads, Tech Buddies, and Developers.
- Covers context transfer, environment setup, and integration into rituals.
Objectives
- Ensure fast context transfer without overwhelming the new joiner.
- Minimize handoff friction for existing team members.
- Get the developer contributing to real tickets within 3–5 days.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1 – Pre-Onboarding (By Lead/PM)
- Provide Developer Onboarding Kit (Doc 2).
- Assign a tech buddy for the first 2 weeks.
- Share the current sprint board with priority tickets.
- Confirm repo + tool access is ready (per Access Policy, Doc 8).
Step 2 – Project Context Download (Day 1–2)
- Lead/Tech Buddy walkthrough covering:
- Business context (what the client wants).
- System overview (arch diagram + API contracts).
- Active sprint scope (which features are in-flight).
- Known blockers/tech debt.
- Review:
- Backlog + sprint board (Jira/ClickUp/Linear).
- Release notes (last 2–3).
- Team retro notes (if available).
Step 3 – Environment & Setup (Day 1–3)
- Developer sets up local environment per:
- Web Stack Setup (Doc 3) or Mobile Stack Setup (Doc 4).
- Run sample build and confirm staging connectivity.
- Submit test PR (doc update or small bug fix) to verify CI/CD.
Step 4 – Knowledge Transfer
- Tech buddy shares:
- Critical modules ownership (who owns what).
- Known pitfalls (common setup/build issues).
- Recent architectural decisions (ADR log).
- The developer reviews at least 1 PR to understand the team’s coding style.
Step 5 – First Ticket Assignment (Day 3–5)
- Assign a low-to-medium complexity ticket (bug fix, UI feature, test writing).
- Buddy reviews PR → ensures style & process adherence.
- Track performance in Developer Access & Onboarding Log (Doc 12).
Step 6 – Integration into Rituals
- Developer joins:
- Daily standups.
- Sprint planning.
- Squad syncs.
- The developer starts logging time/effort.
Roles & Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
| Project Lead | Provides context, assigns first sprint tasks |
| Tech Buddy | Guides setup, answers technical questions |
| Developer | Completes setup, reviews docs/PRs, executes first ticket |
| PM | Ensures backlog & sprint context is shared |
| QA Lead | Aligns on dev–QA handoff process |
Governance
- Onboarding SLA: Mid-flight joiners must be contributing within 5 working days.
- Access Logs: All access must be tracked (per Access Policy).
- Feedback Loop: Developer logs blockers in onboarding kit → updates quarterly.
- Escalation: If the developer is idle >2 days → escalate to Lead & PM.