Cultural Guide¶

Philosophy: How we work together

Team Values¶

1. Async-First Communication¶

Default to written communication
Respect deep work time
Document decisions
No expectation of immediate response (unless urgent)

In practice: - Update Slack/Discord async, don't expect instant reply - Schedule meetings only when necessary - Write design docs before meetings - Record meetings for those who can't attend

2. Quality Over Speed¶

Ship working software
Don't rush at cost of quality
Technical debt is intentional, documented
Tests are not optional

In practice: - Code reviews are thorough - Tests required for all PRs - Refactor when needed - Don't merge broken code to "fix later"

3. Continuous Learning¶

Everyone is still learning (even seniors)
Share knowledge openly
Ask questions without shame
Teach and be taught

In practice: - "I don't know" is acceptable answer - Pair programming encouraged - Team knowledge shares - Document what you learn

4. Kindness & Respect¶

Be kind in code reviews
Assume good intent
Disagree respectfully
Celebrate each other

In practice: - No personal attacks - Constructive feedback - Say thank you - Recognize good work publicly

5. Ownership & Accountability¶

Own your work end-to-end
If you break it, you fix it
Don't throw problems over wall
Help unblock teammates

In practice: - Monitor your PRs after merge - Fix bugs you introduced - Help with on-call incidents - Support other teams

Work Patterns¶

Meetings¶

Minimize: Meetings are expensive
Agenda: Every meeting has agenda shared 24h before
Notes: Every meeting has notes shared after
Optional: Most meetings are optional (know when to skip)
No-meeting blocks: Wednesdays 9am-12pm (example)

Focus Time¶

Deep work: 4-hour blocks for focused coding
DND: Use Slack/Discord status when focused
Headphones: Signal for "don't interrupt" (if on-site)
Interrupt protocol: Ping in chat first, only tap shoulder if urgent

Working Hours¶

Flexible: Core hours 10am-4pm (overlap time)
Async: Work when you're most productive
Timezone-aware: Note timezone in calendar, Slack
PTO: Take time off, disconnect completely
Boundaries: Don't work evenings/weekends (unless on-call)

Remote Work¶

Default: Remote-friendly (even if some on-site)
Video: Camera optional for most meetings
Communication: Over-communicate in text
Timezone: Coordinate across timezones thoughtfully
Presence: Use Slack status to show availability

Decision-Making¶

RFCs (Request for Comments)¶

For major decisions: 1. Author writes proposal doc 2. Share with team async (3-5 days feedback period) 3. Discussion in comments/chat 4. Meeting if needed (but try async first) 5. Author makes final decision (after considering feedback) 6. Document in ADR

Consensus¶

Aim for consensus on important decisions
Don't require unanimity (can't please everyone)
Disagree and commit (if you're outvoted, support decision)
Escalate if truly stuck (team lead, architecture group)

Speed¶

Bias to action: Make reversible decisions quickly
Delay irreversible: Take time on one-way doors
Ship and iterate: Don't wait for perfect
Learn from mistakes: Retrospect, improve

Code Review Culture¶

Reviews Are For¶

Catching bugs
Sharing knowledge
Maintaining quality
Teaching and learning

Reviews Are Not For¶

Gatekeeping
Showing off
Asserting dominance
Nitpicking

How We Review¶

Timely: Within 24 hours
Kind: Assume competence
Specific: Explain the "why"
Balanced: Praise + feedback
Actionable: Clear what to change

See review_etiquette.md

Communication Norms¶

Slack/Discord¶

Threads: Use them (keep channels organized)
@mentions: Use sparingly (they interrupt)
Status: Update when away/busy/focused
Async: Don't expect immediate reply
Social: Balance work and fun (but respect boundaries)

Email¶

Rare: Most communication in Slack/Discord
External: Email for external communication
Formal: Email for formal announcements
Reply: Within 48 hours expected

GitHub¶

Issues: For tracking work
PRs: For code review
Discussions: For open-ended questions
Mentions: Tag specific people for attention

Feedback Culture¶

Giving Feedback¶

Timely: Don't wait months (give feedback soon)
Specific: "You did X well" not "good job"
Private: Critical feedback 1-on-1, not public
Actionable: Clear what to change
Balanced: Positive + constructive

Receiving Feedback¶

Listen: Don't get defensive
Clarify: Ask questions if unclear
Consider: Reflect before reacting
Thank: Appreciate the feedback
Act: Change behavior if warranted

Retrospectives¶

Regular: After every sprint
Safe: No blame, focus on improvement
Actionable: Create action items
Follow-up: Actually do the action items

Incident Response¶

When Things Break¶

Stay calm: Panicking helps no one
Communicate: Update status in #incidents
Fix first: Root cause analysis after restoration
Postmortem: Blameless, focus on systems
Learn: Improve processes, don't punish people

On-Call¶

Rotation: Everyone shares burden (with buddy system for new)
Handoff: Clear documentation
Support: Team has your back
Compensation: Time off or pay for on-call work

Career Growth¶

How We Grow Engineers¶

Autonomy: Increase scope and responsibility
Mastery: Deep expertise in area
Mentorship: Help others grow
Impact: Bigger, harder problems

Levels (Example)¶

Junior: Learning, mentored heavily, clear tasks
Mid: Independent, own features end-to-end
Senior: Mentor others, design systems, ambiguous problems
Staff+: Cross-team impact, strategy, technical leadership

Promotion¶

Merit-based: Based on impact, not tenure
Transparent: Expectations clear at each level
Advocate: Manager advocates for you (but you must show work)
Patience: Promotions take time (1-2 years between levels typical)

Diversity & Inclusion¶

We Value¶

Different backgrounds
Different perspectives
Different work styles
Different communication styles

We Don't Tolerate¶

Discrimination
Harassment
Exclusion
Microaggressions

If You Experience Issues¶

Talk to manager (if comfortable)
Talk to HR/people ops
Anonymous reporting (if available)

Work-Life Balance¶

Sustainable Pace¶

40 hours: Standard work week
Crunch: Rare, temporary, with recovery time
Burnout: Watch for signs, speak up
Rest: Necessary for productivity

Time Off¶

PTO: Take it, all of it
Sick days: Stay home when sick
Mental health: Counts as health
No guilt: Don't feel bad for taking time off

Boundaries¶

Email: Don't check outside hours (unless on-call)
Slack: Mute notifications evenings/weekends
Disconnect: Truly disconnect on PTO
No badge of honor: Working 80 hours is not impressive

Anti-Patterns to Avoid¶

❌ Hero Culture¶

Problem: Individual saves the day, rewarded for firefighting Instead: Prevent fires, build systems, share knowledge

❌ Brilliant Jerk¶

Problem: Smart but mean, toxic to team Instead: Smart AND kind, collaborative

❌ Not Invented Here¶

Problem: Reject external solutions, rewrite everything Instead: Use proven libraries, build what's unique

❌ Analysis Paralysis¶

Problem: Endless discussion, no decision Instead: Decide, ship, iterate

❌ Cowboy Coding¶

Problem: Merge without review, break things, "fix later" Instead: Reviews, tests, quality gates

Questions New Members Ask¶

"How do I know what to work on?"¶

Check sprint board
Ask team lead or buddy
Look for good-first-issue labels
Attend sprint planning

"Is it okay to ask questions?"¶

YES! Ask questions
Better to ask than spin for hours
"No dumb questions" rule
Everyone was new once

"How do I get help when stuck?"¶

Try for 30 minutes
Ask in team chat
Tag specific person if no response
Pair program with buddy

"What if I disagree with a decision?"¶

Voice your opinion respectfully
Provide reasoning and data
If outvoted, disagree and commit
Don't relitigate endlessly

"How do I make impact as a new person?"¶

Ship small things consistently
Help with documentation (you have fresh eyes!)
Ask good questions (challenge assumptions)
Be reliable and kind

Resources¶

Remember: Culture is what we do, not what we say. Model the values.