diff --git a/internal/controller/etcdcluster_controller.go b/internal/controller/etcdcluster_controller.go
index f4ec6eca..d9e47ad7 100644
--- a/internal/controller/etcdcluster_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/etcdcluster_controller.go
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ func (r *EtcdClusterReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request)
 	}
 
 	state := observables{}
+	state.instance = instance
 
 	// create two services and the pdb
 	err = r.ensureUnconditionalObjects(ctx, instance)
@@ -661,3 +662,37 @@ func (r *EtcdClusterReconciler) ensureUnconditionalObjects(ctx context.Context,
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// TODO!
+// nolint:unused
+func (r *EtcdClusterReconciler) patchOrCreateObject(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object) error {
+	err := r.Patch(ctx, obj, client.Apply, &client.PatchOptions{FieldManager: "etcd-operator"}, client.ForceOwnership)
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if client.IgnoreNotFound(err) == nil {
+		err = r.Create(ctx, obj)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+// TODO!
+// nolint:unparam,unused
+func (r *EtcdClusterReconciler) createClusterFromScratch(ctx context.Context, state *observables) (ctrl.Result, error) {
+	cm := factory.TemplateClusterStateConfigMap(state.instance, "new", state.desiredReplicas())
+	err := ctrl.SetControllerReference(state.instance, cm, r.Scheme)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ctrl.Result{}, err
+	}
+	err = r.patchOrCreateObject(ctx, cm)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ctrl.Result{}, err
+	}
+	panic("not yet implemented")
+}
+
+// TODO!
+// nolint:unused
+func (r *EtcdClusterReconciler) scaleUpFromZero(ctx context.Context, state *observables) (ctrl.Result, error) {
+	panic("not yet implemented")
+}
diff --git a/internal/controller/factory/pvc.go b/internal/controller/factory/pvc.go
index 1b49d2cd..60d2d513 100644
--- a/internal/controller/factory/pvc.go
+++ b/internal/controller/factory/pvc.go
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 )
 
+func PVCLabels(cluster *etcdaenixiov1alpha1.EtcdCluster) map[string]string {
+	labels := PodLabels(cluster)
+	for key, value := range cluster.Spec.Storage.VolumeClaimTemplate.Labels {
+		labels[key] = value
+	}
+	return labels
+}
+
 func GetPVCName(cluster *etcdaenixiov1alpha1.EtcdCluster) string {
 	if len(cluster.Spec.Storage.VolumeClaimTemplate.Name) > 0 {
 		return cluster.Spec.Storage.VolumeClaimTemplate.Name
@@ -38,6 +46,16 @@ func GetPVCName(cluster *etcdaenixiov1alpha1.EtcdCluster) string {
 	return "data"
 }
 
+func PVCs(ctx context.Context, cluster *etcdaenixiov1alpha1.EtcdCluster, cli client.Client) ([]corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim, error) {
+	labels := PVCLabels(cluster)
+	pvcs := corev1.PersistentVolumeClaimList{}
+	err := cli.List(ctx, &pvcs, client.MatchingLabels(labels))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return pvcs.Items, nil
+}
+
 // UpdatePersistentVolumeClaims checks and updates the sizes of PVCs in an EtcdCluster if the specified storage size is larger than the current.
 func UpdatePersistentVolumeClaims(ctx context.Context, cluster *etcdaenixiov1alpha1.EtcdCluster, rclient client.Client) error {
 	labelSelector := labels.SelectorFromSet(labels.Set{
diff --git a/internal/controller/factory/statefulset.go b/internal/controller/factory/statefulset.go
index e8d48362..202419b2 100644
--- a/internal/controller/factory/statefulset.go
+++ b/internal/controller/factory/statefulset.go
@@ -41,19 +41,30 @@ const (
 	defaultBackendQuotaBytesFraction = 0.95
 )
 
+// TODO!
+func TemplateStatefulSet() *appsv1.StatefulSet {
+	panic("not yet implemented")
+}
+
+func PodLabels(cluster *etcdaenixiov1alpha1.EtcdCluster) map[string]string {
+	labels := NewLabelsBuilder().WithName().WithInstance(cluster.Name).WithManagedBy()
+
+	if cluster.Spec.PodTemplate.Labels != nil {
+		for key, value := range cluster.Spec.PodTemplate.Labels {
+			labels[key] = value
+		}
+	}
+
+	return labels
+}
+
 func CreateOrUpdateStatefulSet(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	cluster *etcdaenixiov1alpha1.EtcdCluster,
 	rclient client.Client,
 ) error {
 	podMetadata := metav1.ObjectMeta{
-		Labels: NewLabelsBuilder().WithName().WithInstance(cluster.Name).WithManagedBy(),
-	}
-
-	if cluster.Spec.PodTemplate.Labels != nil {
-		for key, value := range cluster.Spec.PodTemplate.Labels {
-			podMetadata.Labels[key] = value
-		}
+		Labels: PodLabels(cluster),
 	}
 
 	if cluster.Spec.PodTemplate.Annotations != nil {
diff --git a/internal/controller/observables.go b/internal/controller/observables.go
index adbaba3f..4d080f4c 100644
--- a/internal/controller/observables.go
+++ b/internal/controller/observables.go
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@ package controller
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	// "strconv"
+	// "strings"
 	"sync"
 
+	"github.com/aenix-io/etcd-operator/api/v1alpha1"
+	// "github.com/aenix-io/etcd-operator/pkg/set"
 	clientv3 "go.etcd.io/etcd/client/v3"
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
@@ -19,16 +23,18 @@ type etcdStatus struct {
 	memberListError     error
 }
 
+// TODO: nolint
 // observables stores observations that the operator can make about
 // states of objects in kubernetes
 type observables struct {
+	instance       *v1alpha1.EtcdCluster
 	statefulSet    appsv1.StatefulSet
 	stsExists      bool
+	endpoints      []string //nolint:unused
 	endpointsFound bool
 	etcdStatuses   []etcdStatus
 	clusterID      uint64
-	_              int
-	_              []corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim
+	pvcs           []corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim //nolint:unused
 }
 
 // setClusterID populates the clusterID field based on etcdStatuses
@@ -68,7 +74,8 @@ func (s *etcdStatus) fill(ctx context.Context, c *clientv3.Client) {
 }
 
 // TODO: make a real function
-func (o *observables) _() int {
+// nolint:unused
+func (o *observables) desiredReplicas() int {
 	if o.etcdStatuses != nil {
 		for i := range o.etcdStatuses {
 			if o.etcdStatuses[i].memberList != nil {