Optimizing Your First Month

Like any new developers learning your codebase and preferences, it takes time for GitStart to reach optimal productivity. This guide will help you make the most of your first month with us and set the foundation for a successful long-term collaboration.

Setting Up for Success

Be Ready to Collaborate

GitStart is ready to begin work as soon as your repository configuration is complete, but we’re most effective when you:

Have a backlog of well-scoped tickets ready for assignment
Designate a responsive technical point of contact
Provide clear documentation of your preferences and standards

For guidance on repository setup, refer to our Repository Configuration Guide.

Provide Product Context

In the early stages, sharing product knowledge significantly accelerates our learning curve:

Provide brief overviews of your product’s purpose and user base
Explain the context behind features being implemented
Share links to product documentation or user guides
Note any business-critical aspects of the codebase

This context helps us understand the importance of our work and makes our internal QA more effective. As we become more familiar with your product, you can reduce the amount of context provided in tickets.

What to Assign First

Ideal First Assignments

Start with tickets that are:

Moderately complex but well-defined
Self-contained with clear boundaries
Representative of your typical development work
Completable within 3-5 days

Examples of good first assignments include:

Bug fixes with clear reproduction steps
Adding features to existing components
Well-scoped enhancements with design specifications

Assignments to Avoid Initially

In the first month, it’s best to avoid assignments that:

Require extensive product knowledge
Involve critical security features or sensitive permissions
Include complex architectural decisions
Need rapid turnaround or are time-sensitive
Involve major dependency upgrades

As our familiarity with your codebase increases, you can gradually introduce more complex tickets.

Help us align with your team’s standards by sharing:

Code and Design Standards

Coding style guides or linting configurations
Design system documentation
Component patterns and best practices
Test coverage expectations

Implementation Preferences

Requirements for pixel-perfect implementation
Browser/device compatibility needs
Performance benchmarks
Documentation standards

We analyze your codebase to learn your patterns, but explicit guidance accelerates this process and reduces the need for revisions.

Understanding the Estimation Process

Our initial estimates combine:

Machine learning predictions based on historical data
Developer assessment of the specific requirements
Complexity analysis of your codebase

During the first month, our estimates may require calibration as we learn more about your specific environment. We encourage open discussion about estimates and welcome your feedback to improve our accuracy.

Providing Effective Feedback

Your feedback is essential for optimizing our collaboration:

Be specific: Detailed feedback helps us understand your preferences
Prioritize issues: Indicate which changes are critical vs. nice-to-have
Share positive feedback: Knowing what works well helps us replicate success
Suggest improvements: We welcome ideas for enhancing our processes

Early feedback helps us adapt quickly to your needs and preferences, establishing patterns that benefit your projects long-term.

Increasing Complexity Over Time

As we gain familiarity with your codebase and product:

Gradually increase the complexity of assigned tickets
Expand the scope to include more components or systems
Involve us in more strategic development initiatives
Consider longer-term projects or ongoing maintenance

Need Help?

If you have questions about optimizing your first month with GitStart, contact your Client Experience Manager or email our support team at support@gitstart.com.