How We Work
Remote, mentor-led, product teams shipping real features in 4-week sprints—here’s our playbook.
How We Work
Dev Launchers is a remote, mentor-led community where you learn by shipping. We organize around product teams, run 4-week sprints, and use the same tools you’ll see in modern software orgs—not a classroom. Sessions run in Central Time (CT) with global participation.
Org Structure & Process
Structure Board of Directors → Leadership (President, VP, Directors) → Departments (Design, Development, Research, Product) → Product Teams (e.g., IdeaSpace, Dev Recruit, Universal Design, AI Ally, User Profile) → Members guided by Mentors (team leads).
How we operate
Remote-first. Async by default; two 1-hour live sessions weekly.
4-week sprints. Plan → Build → Review → Retro. Work is tracked in GitHub.
Project-based learning. Every assignment maps to a real deliverable and your SMART goals.
Definition of Done. Clear acceptance criteria, accessibility checks, code/design review, and brief documentation.
Design ↔ Dev handshake
Design provides components, tokens/variables, and prototype behaviors in Figma (Dev Mode).
Dev implements with React/TypeScript, documents in Storybook, and links PRs back to issues/design.
Research produces actionable readouts that become backlog items.
Sprint Rhythm (What a Month Looks Like)
Plan (Week 1) — Set sprint goals, write/estimate issues, define acceptance criteria and dependencies.
Build (Weeks 1–3) — Async work, mid-sprint reviews, optional pairing.
Review (Week 4) — Demos, QA, research readouts, merge/ship.
Retro (Week 4) — FigJam retro; decisions roll into next sprint.
Time commitment: ~5–10 hours/week (2 hours live + 3–8 async).
Tech Stack (What We Use & Why)
Figma & FigJam Source of truth for product design and collaboration. We use variables/tokens, components, and library governance to keep UI consistent. Dev Mode and comments make handoff concrete; FigJam powers retros, user journeys, and cross-department workshops.
GitHub (Issues, Projects, PRs, Actions) Where work happens. Issues carry acceptance criteria, estimation, and status on project boards. Pull requests drive review quality; Actions handles basic CI so changes stay healthy.
React Primary UI framework for fast, reusable components. We prioritize accessibility (ARIA, focus management) and performance (sensible rendering, code-splitting where appropriate).
TypeScript Static typing that clarifies data contracts between product requirements, designs, and code—improving safety, readability, and collaboration.
Storybook A living catalog of components and patterns. Designers and developers verify states, accessibility, and usage here. We document props, examples, and guardrails for reuse.
GitBook Public docs and curriculum. Onboarding guides, playbooks, and design-system usage live here so knowledge isn’t trapped in chat threads.
tl;dv Lightweight recording and highlight tool for workshops and demos. We capture key moments, tag follow-ups, and share snippets with members in other time zones.
Google Workspace Docs, sheets, and slides for planning, research notes, and org-wide announcements—easy to share and archive.
Discord Day-to-day HQ. Channels mirror product teams and departments; standups, checkpoints, and quick design/dev questions happen here.
Strapi Headless CMS for content that needs first-class handling (site sections, learning resources, campaigns). Keeps content updates out of the code deploy loop.
Curriculum (Overview)
Our curriculum is project-driven and mentor-guided. You’ll set SMART goals at onboarding, then work through role-based assignments (Design, Development, Research, Product) aligned to your team’s stage (discovery → iteration → finalization). Instruction happens inside the work—critiques, PR reviews, readouts, and sprint ceremonies.
→ See the full weekly cadence, learning pathways, and outcomes on Curriculum.
What to Expect When You Join
Onboarding & placement: We place you on a product team based on your goals, skills, and team capacity.
First issue: Start with a well-scoped task to learn our workflow and tools.
Regular feedback: Mentors review your work during sprints; quarterly check-ins track progress against your SMART goals.
Portfolio artifacts: Real designs, PRs, research readouts, and component stories that showcase collaboration and impact.
Ready to get started?
Admissions & Tuition (Tuition: $0)
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