Before choosing specific tools or techniques for development, we need a shared way of thinking about delivery.

The guiding principles shared in this playbook are a set of heuristics with which we can approach any given situation, that help us choose the right practices for our context, or derive new ones. For example, asking, “how can we shift this left?” results in us adopting or creating practices that give us earlier feedback on what matters to us in that situation.

Feedback Loops

We build feedback into everything we do, so we can tell we’re on the right track, and course-correct if necessary.

Shift Left

How can we get the feedback earlier in the development cycle, where we can act on it more effectively?

Pervasive Automation

If something’s worth doing twice, it’s worth automating

Use automation to shift things left and make them more reliable, reproducible and efficient.

Everything as Code

Bring all the techniques we use on application code to bear on other areas of our work by describing it in scripts or declarative configuration and treating it as code.

Collective Ownership

When the whole team is responsible for quality, it opens up opportunities for collaboration and efficiency.

Continuous Improvement

Build in space and psychological safety to take our feedback and use it to improve our processes.