Make your first 90 days count

Your onboarding is a two-way responsibility

When I started at a previous startup, someone recommended The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins to me. It changed the way I thought about starting a new job. Before that, I thought about onboarding mostly as something the company was responsible for. They would introduce me to the right people, teach me what I needed to know, and tell me what success looked like. A good company should do those things. But I also learned that you have a role in your own onboarding. You can ask for clarity. You can build relationships. You can learn how decisions get made. You can ask for feedback instead of waiting for it. And you can make sure you and your manager have the same understanding of what success looks like. The first 90 days aren't about proving you have all the answers. They're about learning enough to start having an impact.

Learn the landscape

Your first few weeks should involve a lot of listening. Learn how the company actually works, not just how the org chart says it works. Who does your role depend on? Who depends on you? Who has context you don't have yet? How are decisions made? Where does work tend to get stuck? If your company gives you an onboarding buddy, use them. Ask who they work with most often and who they think you should meet. If there isn't a formal buddy program, ask your manager: "Who are the people you think I should get to know in my first few weeks?” Then introduce yourself. You don't need an agenda for every conversation. Ask people what they own, how your roles will interact, what's working well, and where they've experienced friction. You're building relationships, but you're also building context. The faster you understand how the organization works, the easier it becomes to understand how you can contribute.

Get clear on what success actually means

Don't assume you and your manager have the same definition of a successful first 90 days. Ask. What are the most important things they want you to accomplish? What should you understand by day 30? What should you begin owning by day 60? What would make them say, at day 90, “This was absolutely the right hire”? Then play it back in your own words. Something as simple as: “Here's my understanding of the priorities and what you're expecting from me over the next few months. Is this how you're thinking about it?” can prevent a lot of frustration later. I also recommend putting those expectations in writing, even if it's just a short document you maintain for yourself and review with your manager. Clarity & communication early is much easier than trying to correct misalignment later. Communicate more than you think you need to because one of the hardest things about being new is that your manager doesn't know how you work yet. They don't know whether silence means everything is going well, you're stuck, or you're completely overwhelmed. Make it easier for them. Share what you're working on. Ask questions when something isn't clear. Surface blockers early. Confirm when priorities change. And don't wait until a formal 30-, 60-, or 90-day review to ask how you're doing. Ask: “What's going well so far?” “Where would you like to see me adjust?” “Is there anything you expected me to be further along on by now?” Getting feedback early gives you something incredibly valuable: time to do something with it.

Put it into practice.