new-engineer

New Engineer Onboarding

Phase 1: Environment Setup

• Set up local development environment (Node, package manager, Docker, etc.)
• Clone all required repositories and install dependencies
• Configure environment variables from the internal secrets manager
• Verify the local dev server runs end-to-end without errors
• Set up IDE with recommended extensions and team linting config

Phase 2: Codebase Tour

• Walk through the high-level architecture and service boundaries
• Identify the key entry points (API routes, main components, background jobs)
• Explain the folder structure and naming conventions
• Highlight the most frequently touched modules and files
• Point to internal wikis, ADRs, and design docs for deeper context

Phase 3: First PR

• Assign a starter issue labeled "good first issue" or "onboarding"
• Pair with a buddy engineer for the first PR
• Walk through the full PR workflow: branch, commit, push, open PR, review
• Explain the CI checks and what must pass before merge
• Celebrate the merge — first PR is a milestone!