The AI Reckoning / Chapter 15

Cleanup Crew Role Specification

Assess the ability to understand, stabilize, and improve an inherited system.

Download printable PDFOne page · Updated October 20, 2026

Look for demonstrated skills

Read unfamiliar code: ask for an example they understood well enough to change. Let them explain how they learned it.
Trace data: follow an input through transformations, storage, integrations, and reports. Ask where they verified assumptions.
Talk to the business: ask about a user conversation that changed their diagnosis.
Handle incidents: look for clear prioritization, communication, escalation, and recovery. Use past examples or a calm simulation, not a hostile interview.
Choose an investigation: ask for a first hypothesis, how to test it, and what evidence would change their mind.

Provide authorized access, a system owner, business contacts, a safe test environment, and a clear escalation path.
Ask for a system map, prioritized findings, recovery risks, and small verified repairs before a broad rewrite.
Agree on the boundaries of the work, availability, and handover. Incident skills can be developed through pairing and practice.

Evidence of fit: …. Support or training required: ….

Use the printable worksheet to keep your notes and evidence with your team.