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A NAIS period

A period is eight weeks long: a six-week focus period followed by a two-week cooldown. Everything we plan and do lives within this rhythm.

Each period corresponds to a milestone in nais/system, named period-<N>. Initiatives picked for the period are assigned to that milestone.

Focus period (6 weeks)

This is when the planned initiatives are worked on. Every week during the focus period we have a weekly check-in at noon.

Cooldown (2 weeks)

Cooldown is for resetting and shaping the next period.

  • Tuesday of the first cooldown week: NAIS day
  • End of the first cooldown week: cut-off for initiatives that want to be considered for the next period. In practice this means the initiative's PR must be out of draft and have essence, goals, non-goals, approach, and a size label.
  • Thursday of the second cooldown week: the first draft of the next focus period is announced. This is done by assigning initiative PRs to the new period's milestone. Adjustments to the draft must be made by the end of the week.

Cooldown is not an arbitrary break – it's the space where unassigned initiatives get discussed, shaped, and selected. It's also when we catch up on small things and help out on whichever boards the anchors keep for their area.

A calendar feed with the periods can be found here.