Buddy System¶

Goal: Every new member has a dedicated mentor for their first month

What is a Buddy?¶

A buddy is an experienced team member who guides a new hire through their first month, answering questions, providing context, and helping them feel welcome.

Not: Manager, not responsible for performance reviews Is: Mentor, friend, resource, advocate

Buddy Selection¶

Good Buddy Qualities¶

Available: Has bandwidth (not overwhelmed with own work)
Patient: Enjoys teaching and answering questions
Knowledgeable: Understands codebase and team processes
Communicative: Responsive and clear
Welcoming: Makes people feel comfortable

Selection Process¶

Team lead asks for volunteers
Consider workload (don't overload busy engineers)
Rotate (spread experience across team)
Match personalities if possible (but not required)

Buddy Responsibilities¶

Before Day 1¶

Review new member's background
Prepare welcome message
Plan first week schedule
Identify good first tasks

Week 1: Daily Check-ins¶

Daily standup (15 min): - How's it going? - Any blockers? - What are you working on today? - Any questions?

Be available: - Respond to Slack/Discord quickly - Encourage questions ("no dumb questions") - Proactively check in

Help with: - Development setup - First PR - Understanding codebase - Team dynamics

Week 2-4: Regular Check-ins¶

2-3x per week (15-30 min): - Progress check - Answer accumulated questions - Pair programming sessions - Code reviews

Introduce to team: - Make introductions - Bring to team events - Include in informal chats

Month 2-3: As Needed¶

Weekly or as needed: - Check-in on progress - Answer questions - Provide feedback - Advocate for new member

Buddy Activities¶

Code Walkthrough¶

When: Day 2-3 Duration: 1-2 hours Goal: Orient new member to codebase

Cover: - Directory structure - Main entry points - Key subsystems - Where their work will focus - How to navigate and search code

Interactive: - Walk through a user flow (e.g., parameter change → audio processing) - Show how to find things - Demonstrate debugging

Pair Programming¶

When: Week 1-2 Duration: 1-2 hours per session Goal: Learn by doing

Approach: - Driver/navigator style - Switch roles every 20 min - New member drives (buddy navigates) - Explain thought process out loud

Benefits: - Faster learning - Build confidence - Transfer tribal knowledge

Code Review Training¶

When: Week 2 Goal: Learn review process

Steps: 1. Buddy and new member review a PR together 2. Discuss what to look for 3. Write review comments together 4. New member reviews next PR independently (buddy coaches)

When: Throughout first month Goal: Feel part of team

Activities: - Coffee chats (virtual or in-person) - Team lunch - Introduce to other teams - Include in informal discussions

Common Questions¶

"How much time does being a buddy take?"¶

Week 1: 1-2 hours/day - Daily check-ins - Code walkthrough - Ad-hoc questions

Week 2-4: 2-3 hours/week - Regular check-ins - Pair programming - Code reviews

Month 2-3: 1 hour/week - Occasional check-ins - As-needed support

Total: ~15-20 hours over first month

"What if I don't know the answer?"¶

That's okay! - Say "I don't know, let's find out together" - Find someone who does know - Look it up and learn together - Document the answer for next time

"What if the new member isn't making progress?"¶

Escalate early: - Inform team lead - Identify blockers - Adjust onboarding plan - Provide extra support

Don't: Struggle in silence, hope it gets better

"What if we don't click?"¶

Try to make it work: - Focus on professional relationship - Set clear expectations - Communicate openly

If truly not working: - Discuss with team lead - Reassign buddy (no shame in this)

Buddy Best Practices¶

✅ Do¶

Be available: - Respond quickly to messages - Make time for scheduled check-ins - Proactively reach out

Encourage questions: - "No dumb questions" - "I don't care if you ping me 10 times a day" - "Better to ask than spin for hours"

Share context: - Explain the "why" not just "what" - Share history and past decisions - Point to docs and ADRs

Be patient: - Everyone learns at different pace - Repeat explanations if needed - Celebrate small wins

Advocate: - Speak up for new member in meetings - Share their accomplishments - Provide feedback to team lead

❌ Don't¶

Overwhelm: - Don't info-dump everything day 1 - Focus on immediate needs - Teach incrementally

Assume knowledge: - Explain acronyms - Don't skip "obvious" steps - Check understanding

Judge: - No "you should know this" - No sighing or eye-rolling - Mistakes are learning opportunities

Ghost: - Don't disappear without notice - Communicate if busy - Hand off if you can't be available

Buddy Recognition¶

Acknowledge the work: - Being a buddy takes time and effort - Recognize in team meetings - Consider in performance reviews - Rotate to share opportunity

Buddies learn too: - Teaching reinforces knowledge - See codebase with fresh eyes - Identify documentation gaps - Develop mentorship skills

Templates¶

Welcome Message¶

Hi @newmember! 👋

Welcome to the team! I'm @buddy, and I'll be your buddy for your first month.

I'm here to help you get ramped up, answer questions, and make sure you feel
welcome. Don't hesitate to ping me anytime - seriously, that's what I'm here for!

Let's set up a daily check-in for your first week. What time works for you?

Looking forward to working together!

Daily Check-in Agenda (Week 1)¶

Daily Buddy Check-in - Day X

1. How are you feeling? Overwhelmed, comfortable, bored?
2. What did you work on since last check-in?
3. Any blockers or questions?
4. What are you tackling next?
5. Anything I can help with?

Week 1 Retrospective¶

Week 1 Retro - How did it go?

What went well?
-

What was confusing?
-

What can we improve for next new member?
-

How can I better support you in week 2?
-

On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable do you feel so far?
-

Buddy Checklist¶

Day 1¶

Send welcome message
Schedule daily check-ins for week 1
Check development setup progress
Answer Day 1 questions

Week 1¶

Daily 15-min check-ins
Code walkthrough (1-2 hours)
Help with first PR
Week 1 retrospective

Week 2¶

2-3 check-ins this week
Pair programming session
Code review training
Introduce to other team members

Week 3-4¶

2 check-ins this week
Review progress
Encourage independence
Month 1 retrospective

Month 2-3¶

Weekly or bi-weekly check-ins
As-needed support
Transition to peer relationship

Resources¶

Remember: You're making a huge difference in someone's experience. Thank you for being a buddy!