How We Work
This section documents our processes, workflows, and ways of working together effectively.
Core Processes
- Meeting Guidelines - How to run effective meetings
- Decision Making - How we make and document decisions
- Contributing to Docs - How to update this documentation
Our Work Philosophy
Principles
- Async First - Default to asynchronous communication
- Document Everything - If it's not written down, it didn't happen
- Iterate Quickly - Ship small, ship often
- Feedback Culture - Give and receive feedback regularly
- Trust by Default - Assume positive intent
Communication
Channels
| Type | Tool | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent | Phone/Slack DM | Needs response < 1 hour |
| Quick Question | Slack | Needs response same day |
| Discussion | Slack Thread | Collaborative conversation |
| Updates | Email/Notion | FYI, no response needed |
| Deep Work | Do Not Disturb | Focus time, no interruptions |
Response Times
- Slack: Within 4 hours during work hours
- Email: Within 24 hours
- PR Reviews: Within 1 business day
- Meeting Invites: Accept/decline within 24 hours
Work Schedule
Core Hours
- 10am - 3pm (your timezone) - Available for meetings
- Outside core hours - Flexible, async work
Focus Time
- Block calendar for deep work
- Set Slack status to "Focus"
- No meetings Wednesday afternoons
Project Management
How We Plan
- Quarterly - OKRs and roadmap
- Monthly - Review and adjust
- Bi-weekly - Sprint planning
- Daily - Standups (async or sync)
How We Track
- Tasks: Jira/Linear/Notion
- Docs: This repository
- Code: GitHub
- Designs: Figma
Team Rituals
Regular Meetings
- Monday: Week kickoff (30 min)
- Wednesday: Team sync (45 min)
- Friday: Demo day (1 hour)
Quarterly Events
- Planning: 2-day offsite
- Retrospective: What worked, what didn't
- Celebration: Recognize achievements
Decision Making
We use different approaches based on impact:
| Impact | Who Decides | Process |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Individual | Just do it |
| Medium | Team Lead | Consult team, then decide |
| High | Team | Discuss and consensus |
| Critical | Leadership | RFC process required |
Feedback & Reviews
Continuous Feedback
- Regular 1:1s with manager
- Peer feedback in PRs
- Team retrospectives
Formal Reviews
- Quarterly check-ins
- Annual performance review
- 360 feedback process
Remote Work
Best Practices
- Camera on for important meetings
- Mute when not speaking
- Document meeting outcomes
- Record for those who can't attend
- Time zones - be mindful
Tools
- Video: Zoom/Google Meet
- Whiteboard: Miro/FigJam
- Async Video: Loom
- Virtual Office: Gather/Discord
Onboarding New Team Members
- Assign a buddy
- Create onboarding checklist
- Schedule intro meetings
- Share documentation
- First project within week 1
- 30-day check-in
Continuous Improvement
How We Improve
- Weekly team retrospectives
- Monthly process reviews
- Quarterly surveys
- Annual planning
Suggesting Changes
- Discuss in team meeting
- Document proposal
- Trial for 2 weeks
- Evaluate and decide
- Update documentation
Resources
Questions?
- Process questions: #operations on Slack
- Suggestions: #process-improvements
- Urgent: Contact your manager
Remember: These processes serve us, not the other way around. If something isn't working, let's fix it! 🔧