Code Review Culture Best Practices

A healthy code review culture is the backbone of any high-performing engineering team. It ensures code quality, spreads knowledge, and fosters collaboration.

Empathy First

Always assume positive intent. A code review is a critique of the code, not the coder. When offering feedback, use inclusive language like "we" instead of "you". For example, "What if we tried this approach?" is much better than "You did this wrong." If you want to dive deeper into leadership, check out my Engineering Team Leadership Guide.

Keep PRs Small

Large Pull Requests are incredibly difficult to review effectively. They lead to "LGTM" (Looks Good To Me) approvals without thorough checking. Break down tasks into smaller, logical chunks.

Automate Everything

Do not waste human time on formatting issues. Use tools like Prettier, ESLint, and Black to handle styling automatically before the code even reaches review.

Conclusion

By fostering a culture of psychological safety, keeping changes small, and automating the mundane, your team can review code faster and with higher quality.