What is Ramp Up?
Definition
Ramp up (verb, noun): The process and period during which a new developer gains the knowledge, context, and skills needed to become fully productive on a codebase, team, or technology stack.
Also called: ramping up, ramp-up time, onboarding period
Quick Answer
Ramp up refers to the onboarding period for developers joining a new team or codebase. The average ramp-up time is 3-6 months for most engineering roles.
What Does Ramp Up Mean in Software Development?
When engineers start a new job or join a new project, they need time to:
- Understand the codebase architecture
- Learn team conventions and patterns
- Build relationships with teammates
- Gain domain knowledge
- Become familiar with tools and processes
This period is called "ramping up."
Ramp Up vs. Onboarding
| Aspect | Onboarding | Ramp Up |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Administrative + technical setup | Achieving productivity |
| Duration | Usually 1-2 weeks | 3-6 months |
| Focus | Access, accounts, introductions | Knowledge, skills, context |
| End point | "Set up and ready to work" | "Fully productive" |
Onboarding is a subset of ramp-up. You can be "onboarded" but not yet "ramped up."
Ramp Up Time Statistics
| Scenario | Average Ramp-Up Time |
|---|---|
| New job, familiar tech stack | 3-4 months |
| New job, unfamiliar tech stack | 6-9 months |
| New codebase, same company | 2-4 weeks |
| New framework only | 2-6 weeks |
Sources: Industry research, HackerNoon, Google engineering surveys
Phases of Ramp Up
1. Orientation (Week 1)
- Environment setup
- Team introductions
- Access to systems
2. Learning (Weeks 2-4)
- Understanding architecture
- First small contributions
- Building mental models
3. Contributing (Months 1-2)
- Shipping features independently
- Participating in code review
- Growing domain knowledge
4. Thriving (Months 2-6)
- Leading projects
- Mentoring others
- Proposing improvements
How to Ramp Up Faster
- Use AI-powered tools like Ramp to understand code faster
- Ask questions early rather than struggling alone
- Focus on high-impact areas of the codebase first
- Pair with senior engineers for context transfer
- Follow The RAMP Method for structured learning
Examples of Usage
"It usually takes new engineers 3-4 months to fully ramp up on our codebase."
"I'm still ramping up on the billing system—can you point me to the right documentation?"
"Our ramp-up time has decreased by 50% since we started using Ramp."
Non-Examples
These are not examples of ramp-up:
- Learning a new programming language in isolation
- Completing online tutorials
- Getting laptop access and Slack invites (this is onboarding)
Related Definitions
Related Guides
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