hi,
I just started. I've never been at a company this big. I have worked at a 1000 person place before it shrunk (it grew from 3-500 while I was there) and 65 and 500 person shops.
How do you suggest I ramp up? It's so many people and so many layers of code and tech. I have a good amount of experience in data/ml and also eng. I don't think I'm a 10x engineer but I am pretty proficient at getting things done.
What should my plan be even with holiday slow down coming? People are super nice and I don't feel crazy pressure to ship something rn but I put a lot of pressure on myself and want to do well.
I also know code quality is even more important at bigger companies trying to deal with scale. How do I make sure I can keep up?
First, I'd highly recommend the masterclass on How To Succeed At A New Team Or Company As A Software Engineer. We talk about ramping up into a new codebase.
The holiday slowdown is a perfect time to spend more time with your coworkers! I'd especially recommend pair programming a task if you're able to go into the office. A few things that more new people don't do enough:
how do you suggest I ramp up? its so many people and so many layers of code and tech. I have a good amount of experience in data/ml and also eng. I don't think I'm a 10x engineer but I am pretty proficient at getting things done.
I would at least try to land one small code change.
Try to avoid getting stuck in a state where you are only reading documentation because it can become a form of procrastination. You should have some actionable item that you can bring to a "done" or "completed" state which is why I recommend landing a small code change.
I would also start a doc for yourself and bullet point any processes that can be improved. These might include:
Your fresh eyes can be invaluable for identifying bottlenecks that other engineers have adapted to.