How I Built a 20‑Person Go Team in 3 Months and Handed Over Operations

01 Challenges

Forming a 20‑person team and completing business handover each take about three months, but doing both while keeping normal demand delivery proved difficult. The author needed to finish recruitment in the first one‑and‑a‑half months, have most members on board by two months, and simultaneously manage system and project transitions.

02 Recruitment

Go talent is scarce in Wuhan, so recruitment planning began in December of the previous year. The author reached out to internal candidates and former Xiaomi colleagues, eventually securing five core members early on, six engineers who returned from the Beijing team, six interns (including the author), and finally two social‑hire engineers. Recruitment was completed within the first month after the team’s relocation, and all members were on board by mid‑second month. The author attributes success to sincere communication and early preparation.

03 Demand Consolidation

The core system handover relied on the six returning engineers and the two social hires, originally planned to finish within the first month. However, multiple demand owners—three separate product teams—each pushed their own priorities, causing delays. The author created a comprehensive demand table listing every request, prioritizing them, and projecting work into April, May, and June. Because manpower availability also needed tracking, a separate manpower‑flow table split the same period into twelve weeks and calculated weekly project capacity. After two weeks of review and discussion, the team agreed on a plan that protected critical business demands while reserving sufficient resources for handover.

04 Collaboration and Leadership

The team faced a complex environment: three product groups from different departments with tight inter‑dependencies, and a R&D side that included front‑end and testing functions outside the author’s direct authority. The author likened the role to a “sandwich cookie,” needing to stay neutral while coordinating across groups. Maintaining good relationships with returning members, integrating new hires (transfers, social hires, interns, contractors), clarifying responsibilities, and fostering a supportive atmosphere were essential. The author learned that humility toward external partners and empathy toward internal teammates are key to long‑term success.

05 Pain and Joy

Several anecdotes illustrate the intensity of the period: editing handover documents on a four‑hour train ride without eating, traveling between Wuhan and Beijing with back‑to‑back meetings, and even eating a sandwich during a conference call. Despite the exhaustion, the author emphasizes that genuine passion and willingness to give one’s all turn the pain into a rewarding experience.

Conclusion

The handover is nearing completion and the author feels satisfied with the outcome. Approaching the challenge with an open mindset turned the experience into valuable personal growth. The author reiterates the importance of continuous self‑investment, resilience, and maintaining a humble, empathetic attitude both inside and outside the team.

During this relocation process, I am deeply grateful to every colleague who helped me—thank you all!