Tech lead guide

# Project Setup & Coordination Guide for Tech Lead

### Step 0: Knowing when you are a Tech Lead
- Your manger and director you are the Tech Lead and you are starting work then.
- If you are listed on documents as a Tech Lead, don't start acting as a Lead until you get explicit approval from your manager. 

### Step 1: Create Project Slack Channel
To avoid confusion and ensure effective knowledge transfer between relevant parties, the first task as a Tech Lead is to create a Slack channel. This ensures that only relevant individuals are engaged in project execution and planning.  

- **Channel Name:** The channel's name should follow the format `external-<project-name>`.  
- **Required Members:**  
  - **Scrum Master**  
  - **Product Team:** It is not necessary to include the Head of Product. Invite members you deem relevant and allow them to decide as a group who will work on the project.  
  - **QE Team:** Identify the QE lead or provide visibility for all QE members.  
  - **Additional Parties:** Explicitly ask your manager and director if any external parties should be added.  
  - Ask Cloud team members to add any **offshore members** (only Slack admins can add them).  
  - Add your **manager** and **director**.  
  - Other technical staff will be invited to the channel later unless specified otherwise.  

- Post a quick intro explaining that the channel is for project-specific conversations.  
- Introduce the Product Team to the concept of the **Project Walkthrough** and request availability for all interested parties to meet.

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### Step 2: Project Walkthrough with Product Team
- Schedule a meeting with the Product Team for a project introduction.  
- **Product Responsibilities:**  
  - The Product Team should "run the meeting," write the agenda, and present the material.  
  - The presentation should include user stories and all required assets (documents, mockups, etc.).  

- **Recording:**  
  - The meeting must **be recorded**, and the recording should be shared in the Slack channel and archived with project documentation.  

- **Attendees:**  
  - Include all relevant project members, including technical staff (Product, BE & Services Devs, FE, QE, Cloud).  
  - If unsure whether to invite a technical person, make their attendance optional. Share the recording later if their advice is needed.  

- **Key Discussion Points:**  
  - **Potential Project Milestones:** Ensure alignment with QE.  
  - **Potential Issues/Confusions:** Address possible challenges related to the nature of the project.  
  - **Dependencies:** If the project depends on external factors (e.g., collaboration with a slow-responding external organization), clearly communicate this to all attendees.  

- **Project Leader Responsibilities at this Point:**  
  - Fully understand the project scope.  
  - Gather all documents, mockups, user stories, or other resources.  
  - Ensure Product completes any missing items and provides reasonable estimates for completion time.  
  - Notify all parties if missing or incomplete items will cause delays.  
  - **Note:** It is not necessary to begin designing the solution at this stage—only to ensure all needed information is available.

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### Step 3: Breakdown Project
- Analyze the project documents provided by the Product Team and follow up with any questions.  
  - If items are missing, focus on researching aspects of the project that are certain while following up on incomplete information.  

- Once you have sufficient clarity on project goals:  
  - Create a **detailed project breakdown** in a Google Sheet.  
  - Discuss project breakdown methods with developers and use templates if applicable.  
  - Discuss technical issues informally or formally with relevant developers as needed.  
  - If the project scope is large or requires significant technical coordination, contact your manager immediately and suggest presenting your findings in an ARB meeting.  

- **If You Decide to Hold an ARB Meeting:**  
  - Present the project from a technical perspective.  
  - Share your intended implementation plan and highlight suspected problem areas with potential solutions.  
  - Collect feedback and adjust the plan as needed.  

- **Once the Breakdown is Complete:**  
  - Identify all the work necessary for the project across all infrastructure areas.  
  - Review the breakdown with your manager and, optionally, the director.  

- **Approval:** Once the breakdown is approved by the manager and/or director, communicate the release date to the Product Team.

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### Step 4: Weekly Updates
- Set up a recurring 15-minute weekly update meeting with the project team (typically on Tuesdays).  
  - These meetings should be routine but flexible to ensure the project stays on track.  

- **Agenda:**  
  - Progress updates toward end goals.  
  - Highlight roadblocks.  
  - Discuss tasks for the upcoming week/sprint.