How to make onboarding easier (and faster) for yourself in new projects

Featuring Argentinean Mike from Breaking Bad

I'm out on the street, waiting for my bus, when from the other side, I see...

Mike from Breaking Bad?

I do a double take, rub my eyes, and realize...

Ohh no, that's not Mike Ehrmantraut, it's just a guy that looks like him. So I take a quick pic and send it to Rebekka with the caption:

"Hey Waltuh, I'm waiting for the colectivo Waltuh."

While quietly laughing my butt off to not make the lady next to me look at me weird, I finally see my bus coming.

I get on, pay for my fare, and before I knew it...

I saw Argentine Mike GET ON THE SAME BUS BEHIND ME

I'm freaking the hell out because I'm so gosh darn close to breaking down into laughter.

Do you realize how funny it is to look to your left and see this mug:

"Don't stare at me or I'm going to break bad."

An endless amount of dumb puns and jokes filled my head, and I had to keep my composure. I wouldn't dare to break bad down here. I had to think of something else that was more boring and would distract me enough to forget he's here.

Think, Mauro, THINK.

Oh, I got it! How about today we break down:

How to make onboarding easier (and faster) for yourself in new projects

YES, this is REALLY boring but REALLY important for helping me forget about Spanish Mike over here.

So here are five tips to know about onboarding that could help you out next time you're taking on a new project:

1. You're in a new project, whoopee! There's a lot to learn. Start with the Who, what, when, and why. Take the time to understand the high-level objectives, who the people involved are, when things are expected, and what you're expected to do/execute on.
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2. Write a lot of stuff down. Anything that sounds important, or any questions you have during your onboarding process, should all go into a single document. This also includes your thoughts on the processes, things you think could improve, or anything else you deem important. This also lets you refer back to this document at any time.
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3. Identify the best times to ask questions. It's helpful to collect a few questions as you explore the codebase and the new processes, and then either send them through chat all together in a batch or ask a co-worker with the know-how for a call to go through some questions.
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4. Don't take notes during calls, especially with clients. They end up distracting you and keep your attention away from what is being said. Instead, write things down after the call on what you learned or what you think should be remembered.
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5. It's okay to ask questions you've already asked, especially if there's a lot of information. It's important to-

Wait. I think fake Mike got off the bus.

Phew! Don't need to keep that list up 😄

Look, it's Friday. I'd say we finish up work and enjoy the weekend! Thanks for reading.

P.S.
Wait, if Argentine Mike was here... Where is Walter?​