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Dev Launchers

The Definitive Guide for Team Members

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Navigate directly to what you’re looking for!

Index

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We’re building a future where all people can come together in creating technologies to overcome shared challenges

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Excitement

Connection

Building

Intention

Teamwork

Leadership

OUR VALUES

The ideas our organization and members strive toward every day.

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Who We Are

Dev Launchers is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing people from diverse backgrounds to tackle future-proof careers.

We are made up of people just like you.

Dev Launchers facilitates ambitious open source software projects, along with other projects centered around communities and products. We use those same projects to train our members in skills in the realm of software, leadership, community management, product development, marketing, and anything else that may be required to launch real world products.

We are dedicated to preparing our members for success!

The Dev Launchers Formula

Product Teams

+Leaders

+Learners

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Who You Are

Engaged

Driven

Curious

Accountable

Considerate

Encouraging

You’re someone who cares about technology and the people whose lives it shapes. You’re looking to build something that matters alongside like-minded people. You are excited, ready to learn, and looking to grow.

You want to work towards achieving a goal, you’re willing to work hard, and you’re not afraid to ask for help getting where you want to be! It's not about how much time you can spend, but about being here when you're here. When you work, you work hard.

While the specifics of your role will depend on your team and product, these are the universal expectations for all Dev Launchers members.

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Our teams are structured around creating products, and our products are structured around teams

TEAMS AND PRODUCTS

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

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Product Teams

Dev Launchers products are exciting, ambitious, usually software focused solutions, tools, or entertaining creations. Sometimes our products solve problems, and sometimes they’re just plain fun!

We primarily pursue products which our members are passionate about, but all of our product teams have the same guiding principles.

The Dev Launchers Project Ethos:

  • Keep it exciting, always
  • Encourage people at all levels and from all backgrounds to learn technical skills
  • When given the chance, experiment with groundbreaking technology
  • Make the world better

What is a Dev Launchers Product Team?

How Do Members Benefit?

Learn at a pace tailored to you!

You'll have hands on help, starting from square one all the way through building complex projects working on real teams. If you're looking to build clean, professional apps or sites, Dev Launchers can take you to the next level.

Already an expert?

Work alongside us! Join our mission to spread opportunity while building up your skills in other areas. Dev Launchers provides leadership experience, as well as a chance to apply your hard earned expertise in spaces that will change peoples’ lives in a big way.

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PRODUCT TEAM EXAMPLES

Dev Launchers Platform

https://devlaunchers.org/

Making our mission scale! We’re building a global project discoverability, management, and learning platform that will allow people from all backgrounds to access free, hands on technical training. Through working on this product team, developers get the opportunity to build out complex systems on both the front and back end.

DevBots

Pit your custom-built and programmed bot against other players around the world! Earn $DEVS tokens to buy NFT collectibles and deck out your bot, or trade them on real cryptocurrency markets. Learn blockchain while making a video game! Team members do everything from blockchain development to video game programming to character art and design.

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Getting Started on a Team

What’s the Commitment Level?

It all sounds good? Then let’s get started! You have a couple of options to begin your journey:

  • Go to a product team’s page (https://devlaunchers.com/projects) and sign up!

or

  • Contact the lead directly

then…

How Do I Begin?

  1. The team lead will hold an orientation meeting
  2. Dev Launchers will send onboarding documents
  3. You’re part of the team!

We’ll always try to work with your schedule. Commitment levels will vary from team to team, but the minimum expectation is 5 hours per week. On average, though, most teams will require at least 7 hours per week, with 10 being the recommended level to really develop your skills. Members who go above and beyond will see results that are above and beyond!

Your commitment level will be agreed upon when you start the project, and all changes in commitment should be communicated with your team lead.

You’ll get as much out of this experience as you put in!

The short answer is…. very little! We help people take their next step no matter where they’re starting from. We have hands on orientations and consultation to guide members through acquiring the basics, but if you want to be able to dive in head first right off the bat:

  • Basic coding knowledge (variable, functions, loops)
  • Git

Interested in help getting started? Visit https://devlaunchers.com/members to sign up for free hands on help!

You’re ready to take the next step!

What Skills Do I Need?

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Being Part of a Team

Have a question? See a team member who needs help? Want to give a team member kudos? Going to miss a deadline or a meeting? Let your team know!

Good communication leads to happy teams, collaboration, getting things done fast and efficiently, and new ideas!

Lack of communication does… the opposite.

Send a message today!

We mainly use Discord, email, and Google Meets for our communications!

Communication

Regular Touchpoints

Your team leads will schedule team meetings and take care of all of the planning and scheduling that goes with it.

Attendance

  • Put in the effort to be a part of your team! Show up for your team, and your team will show up for you.

Punctuality

  • When attending a meeting, try to do it right! Being late can be distracting to your team and makes meetings generally less productive.

“In teamwork, silence isn’t golden, it’s deadly.”

Mark Sanborn

Throughout the course of product development you’ll take on various tasks that will contribute to the success of your team. Your team members will depend on you, just as you’ll depend on them.

Together, you’ll set goals and tasks with your team, both for your product as a whole and for yourself individually. When setting goals with your team be sure you’re making promises you’re able to keep! One incomplete task could push back a team by days, weeks, or even months.

Of course, sometimes things come up. If you’re falling behind on a commitment just let your team lead know and they’ll work with you.

Underpromise, overdeliver.

Honoring Commitments

Dev Launchers stresses three major factors when it comes to the success of our members and projects: Communication, Regular Touchpoints, and Honoring Commitments

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TYPES OF TEAMS AND MEMBERS

Most people will take on multiple roles, but here are some guidelines that may help define your relationship with your team!

Feature Owner

You/your group take on specific tasks and own outcomes of individual features and campaigns.

You are the driving force pushing projects forward.

Specialist

You/your group have a focused skillset and role within the team and support members focusing on features and campaigns.

You might be a:

  • UX Designer
  • Artist
  • Blockchain Expert
  • etc

Navigator

You guide your team and their direction when making big decisions. You might be a leader or an advisor. Navigators help to coordinate team members, as well as give valuable input when changes need to be made.

Guru

You’re dedicated to supporting the members of a team with your expertise in an advisory or mentorship capacity.

Collaborator External to the team, but still working to make it successful in some way!

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Team Member Guidelines

Respect and Conflict

Respecting Your Team

  • Communicate regularly
  • Be on time to meetings
  • Do what you say you’ll do

Dealing With Conflict

  • Let your Team Lead know
  • Let a Dev Launchers Admin or Operations Lead know in Discord or at support@devlaunchers.com

Keep in mind that members are from all over the world. We all come from different cultures and beliefs. Try to be understanding, but don’t tolerate anyone disrespecting you or your team.

Leaving a Team

You’re not stuck here forever! We just ask that you:

  • Build things in a way that at some point you can step away from them, and let someone pick up where you left off
  • Don’t leave a team if it’s not ready to be passed on. This could mean documenting some of the non-obvious parts, or giving someone hands on training.

If you’ve finished your work and enjoyed the experience, or want to take a breather and try something new, you can always reach out and talk to us about joining a new product team!

Who Do I Ask For Help?

Need help? That’s what we’re here for!

Help with your current project?

  • Contact a team member, or reach out in your team’s Discord channel
  • Contact your Team Lead
  • Create an issue on GitHub or your project board
  • Technical question? Send a message in our community Discord!

Have a question about Dev Launchers, or need to report something?

  • We’re available to help! Reach out to an administrative or operational lead in Discord, or email us at team@devlaunchers.com

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Dev Launchers

The next step in your development journey

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Need Anything?

Contact us at support@devlaunchers.com