How to be Influential as a New Hire
Career Cold Start Algorithm by CTO of Meta - Andrew Bosworth + Things I follow when onboarding
Starting a new job or joining a new team can be overwhelming. You’re expected to make a difference fast, but you’re still getting up to speed. What if there was a simple way to get started, build trust, and show your value right away?
As a side note, I started an IG account where I share daily career growth and interview tips and resources. You can follow at hemant_careerbytes
We all have been in this situation many times—new to a team, unsure of the work, and with no established relationships. The pressure to prove is generally intense even during the onboarding period. I came across an algorithm called “Career Cold Start Algorithm” when I joined Meta and found it really effective. It was written by Andrew Bosworth who is current CTO at Meta
How It Works:
Find someone on the team and ask for 30 minutes of their time. Follow this plan:
First 25 Minutes: Ask them to tell you everything they think you need to know. Take notes, and ask questions if something isn’t clear.
Next 3 Minutes: Ask them what the team’s biggest challenges are right now.
Last 2 Minutes: Ask who else you should talk to. Write down every name they mention.'
Repeat the above process for every name you’re given. Don’t stop until there are no new names.
This will help you in following ways
Get an overview of the team’s work and what are the current priorities for the team. Generally, in the first 25 minutes, you will get information about the most core products, high traffic APIs etc.
Information about biggest challenges can help you identify low hanging fruits and make an impact faster. This could be writing new hire documentation or any problem team is facing which you can solve.
It will help you create a mental map on who is working on what ? This is really essential as you will be able to get help faster and move forward. If you know whom to reach out and who can help you, half the battle is won.
Other things I follow
I have made some improvements which worked well for me and want to share if it can help others too
Focus on most important things first
With so many APIs and tons of code, you can't learn it all at once. Focus on the main APIs, important screens, and core logic of the product initially.
If you're in a product team, learn the most-used features. If in infra, understand the crucial parts of the system
Identify frequently used code paths. Start from the core and build your knowledge from there.
Have a 1 week, 1 month and 3 months plan
Generally, there are established onboarding modules in companies. But if there is not, create a 1 week, 1 month and 3 months plan with your manager
This will help both you and your manager to make sure your are on track and get the support you need in initial months.
This will also act as your accomplishment doc - things you accomplished in your first half at the company.
Contribute Code Fast
Adopt a learn by doing approach, there will be some things which you can know only when you are pushing code - code review practices, version control stack, team guidelines on code reviews etc.
Identify low hanging fruits for which you can make quick fixes - test failures, code quality improvements etc
Connect with Me
Looking to Study in USA ?
I have published a 40 page e-book which has all information and can save you a lot of money and time
The Ultimate Guide to Study in USA
Check it Out and use coupon code “EARLY40” to get 40% off. Only 10 of these codes are now available.