The Role Of Feedback Loops In Software Development

It often feels like 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 has become a bragging right for a technology organization. 🤷♂️ “We can deploy 13,593 times a day.” “A developer can deploy to production on their first day at work.” “Our pets can deploy to production.” 🐶🚀 Even more often, I encounter organizations that don’t understand the 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 behind being able to deploy continuously. Few organizations truly need continuous deployment capabilities purely from a time-to-market perspective. So why is it so crucial? Because integrating and deploying every small change 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽. 🔄 We talk about 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀. Empowered to deliver outcomes. But in an environment of uncertainty, we don’t know for sure whether a certain product development will deliver the expected outcome. So we need to 𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁. 🔍🔁 This is where the 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽 is crucial. Without continuous deployment, it might take weeks to inspect and adapt. We end up working from assumptions, requiring more planning and specification. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 are cool. 😎 But without the ability to 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀… To make a decision and gauge its outcome… To see if it creates the experience and behavior we hypothesized… It’s 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿. 🎭 On the other hand, if you can continuously deploy but 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀, that’s also theater. And what if you’re designing razors? Molecules? Laundry care formulas? Craft beer? 🍻🧪 The intent is still the same – 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀. 🔄 You want genuine feedback on your latest decision as quickly as possible. So you 3D print the latest increment of the benefit bar for your razor, formulate a trial run of the beer/laundry care formula, and get it in front of customers—not to make money, but to 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱. 🔬💡 Here’s the thing: Like any other practice – it’s all about the 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. Why is it worthwhile doing this? Understanding the intent helps us 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁. This is especially useful when using a practice like continuous deployment outside of its usual context. #ContinuousDeployment #FeedbackLoops #ProductTeams

99% of high-performing software engineers I’ve worked with share one belief: → Speed of feedback decides the speed of growth. 🔁 Shorter loops always win: ∟ 20-line PRs > 200-line PRs   You ship faster, get reviewed quicker, and avoid the “merge paralysis” trap. ∟ “Push & test” > “Think & overthink”   Most bugs are in your assumptions. Push early, learn faster. ∟ Staging traffic > Unit test coverage   Tests are helpful. But watching a real request hit your endpoint? Unmatched insight. ∟ Slack check-ins > Waiting for the weekly sync   Fast decisions move projects. “Let’s wait for the standup” kills momentum. ∟ A 10-minute spike > 3 days of planning   You don’t need perfect answers. You need fast signals. The best engineers know this: → The longer you wait for feedback, the more expensive your mistakes get. Tighten the loop. Feel the pain sooner. Get better faster. That’s how you grow. That’s how you win.

One of the most powerful tools in software development isn't a language, framework, or AI model. It's a short feedback loop. This could mean: - seeing your UI change as you tweak CSS - running a test and getting a result in seconds, not minutes - shipping a feature and immediately analyzing its effect on users Long feedback loops hide problems, delay insights, and drain momentum. Fast feedback changes everything: it reduces the cost of being wrong and makes learning continuous instead of occasional. Most importantly, developing a fast feedback loop uncovers other hidden issues along the way: - If you have a dev environment that takes 3 days to set up on a new team member's machine, making that process faster is going to fix other inefficiencies in your setup process. - If your deploy takes 30 minutes, shortening it will not only save time - it'll surface flaky tests, unclear ownership, and brittle configs. Improving feedback loops is rarely just a "dev speed" win. It's often a gateway to better collaboration, clearer systems, and a healthier engineering culture.

One of the most common misconceptions in early-stage startups is that if you build something technically extraordinary with a talented team, success will naturally follow. The reality is far more nuanced. Yes, building a complex product under tight resource constraints is challenging. The trade-offs alone can feel insurmountable. But the most critical—and often overlooked—challenge at this stage is constructing a feedback loop while the product is being developed. For engineers-turned-founders, this is especially dangerous. The instinct to focus solely on technical execution, what I call “engineering in the closet,” can doom even the most innovative startups. Without input from potential users or customers, you risk building a product that solves a problem no one has—or in a way no one values. The truth: 👉 Building doesn’t truly begin until the feedback loop is in place. 👉 Early validation ensures you’re creating the right solution, not just a technically impressive one. 👉 Regular feedback forces you to align your product with real-world needs—long before it’s too late. A practical approach: Create a simple demo to gather feedback early. This doesn’t require a fully functioning product—mocked or simulated backends are perfectly fine. A demo not only highlights your value proposition and product experience but also compels you to practice articulating its benefits. These early iterations are invaluable. They help you refine your direction, strengthen your messaging, and ensure that your efforts are aligned with real demand. Founder-led sales are critical through the seed stage, and this process builds the muscle of selling early and often. By the time the product is ready for market, founders will already have a head start, both in refining the pitch and in building relationships that can drive adoption. #Startups #EngineeringLeadership #ProductDevelopment #FounderInsights