Notes On Fast Feedback Loops

Fast feedback is not the same as more automation. It is the distance between a change and a clear answer. The shorter that distance gets, the more calmly a team can make decisions.

The trick is to remove waiting without hiding reality. A local watcher is helpful when it tells you the truth quickly. It is harmful when it turns the build into background weather that nobody trusts.

Keep The First Check Cheap

The first check should catch the obvious mistake: syntax, types, a focused unit test, or the page you are actively changing. It should run so often that it feels like part of typing.

The slower checks still matter. They belong at the boundary: before merging, before deploying, and any time the change touches a shared contract.

Name The Slow Parts

When a test suite feels slow, measure before reorganizing. Slow setup, shared databases, and too much I/O tend to hide under the same vague complaint. A small timing report can make the next fix obvious.

Speed is useful because it buys attention back. Spend that attention on the behavior that matters.