How we onboard engineers at a devtools startup

Knock, a devtools company specializing in notifications infrastructure, emphasizes a hands-on approach to onboarding engineers by requiring them to integrate Knock into a sample application, mirroring a customer's experience. This method promotes deep product understanding, customer empathy, and proactive issue-solving. The onboarding process includes a welcome document, a feedback mechanism to refine onboarding procedures, and a focus on internal documentation to facilitate knowledge sharing. New hires engage in small, well-scoped projects to familiarize themselves with Knock's codebase and processes, with an emphasis on delivering customer value early. Engineers are encouraged to "fix what's broken" and participate in continuous improvement, supported by a company culture that values autonomy and direct customer engagement to foster a strong understanding of the problem domain.