Phasing it In

Problem: Hiring long-term staff beyond the initial experts

Context:

Key project players have been hired and cover the necessary expertise, but the project needs more staff.

Forces:

You need enough people for critical mass.

Staff are not plug compatible and interchangeable.

The right set of initial people sets the tone for the project, and it's important to hire the key people first.

Too many people too early create a burden for the core team.

Solution:

Phase the hiring program. Start by hiring experts, and gradually bring on new people as the project needs to grow.

Resulting Context:

The organization can staff up to meet development load. This pattern is closely related to Apprentice.

Design Rationale:

This is a well-known management technique that allows the project to establish an identity early on, and to grow graciously.

Next: Apprentice