Time Management and Productivity

For workstation setup and first-day instructions, read the developer onboarding guide.

Dedicated buddy

A dedicated senior or mid-level developer will be your primary contact during your first two to four weeks. If you are stuck, contact your buddy instead of repeatedly trying the same approach.

Time spent When to escalate
15-30 minutes A small, well-defined issue remains unresolved.
30-60 minutes A typical coding or debugging problem is not progressing.
1-1.5 hours Continue only when you are making meaningful progress on a complex problem.
2 hours Escalate immediately when there has been no meaningful progress.

Follow the Boy Scout Rule for documentation: leave it better than you found it. Correct outdated or missing information as soon as you notice it so the next engineer has a better starting point.

Growth and delivery

We grow fastest when work is challenging, but delivery comes first. Aim for enough difficulty to learn without remaining blocked.

         Optimal speed
      Growth and delivery
       /               \
  Comfort             Burnout
  No growth           Blocked
  LOW  <--- FRUSTRATION --->  HIGH
  • Low (0-20%): Easy work with little learning.
  • Optimal (30-60%): Challenging work with steady progress.
  • High (70%+): Cognitive overload that requires an immediate change of approach or assistance.

Execution guardrails

  • 20-minute rule: If you have no new ideas after 20 minutes, break the loop. Step away, isolate one variable, or consult documentation and appropriate tools.
  • Two-hour escalation rule: If a problem remains unresolved for two hours, ask a teammate for help or escalate it so delivery can continue.
  • Errors are data: Treat bugs as feedback. Identify the root cause, record useful findings, and move forward.
  • Step away when needed: A short break and diffuse thinking can solve complex problems faster than repeated brute force.

Communication

  • GitLab Issues are the source of truth: Record bugs, features, specifications, and decisions there.
  • GitLab To-Do is your personal inbox: Review mentions, assignments, and review requests every day.
  • Slack is for urgent or synchronous communication: Use it for quick questions and blockers, then record lasting decisions in the relevant issue.