In a recent episode of the Tech Teams Today podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chris, CTO at CollegeVine, to discuss one of the most pressing topics for engineering leaders today: how to consistently deploy software at speed without sacrificing quality. Chris has managed to build a highly efficient engineering team that thrives on rapid deployment, fast feedback loops, and continuous learning.
Here are some of the key takeaways from our conversation, which I believe offer invaluable insights for engineering and product leaders looking to elevate their teams.
1. Short Cycle Times Are the Key to Rapid Learning
One of the most striking points Chris made is that his team at CollegeVine operates on a two-day deployment cycle. This means that from the time a ticket is picked up, it is shipped to production within two days—no exceptions. This approach, while ambitious, was born out of a desire to increase the rate at which the business learns from its product releases. By continuously deploying in small increments, CollegeVine ensures rapid iteration and fast feedback loops, allowing the business to incorporate insights into their decision-making much faster than traditional sprint models.
The shorter the time between starting a task and shipping it, the faster you learn. This doesn’t just benefit engineering—it drives the entire business forward.
2. Build Processes That Empower Engineers
The two-day cycle might sound daunting, but Chris emphasizes that this doesn’t mean cutting corners. Instead, it’s about encouraging engineers to think critically and break down complex problems into manageable pieces that can be tackled quickly. At CollegeVine, every engineer is empowered to decompose tasks into smaller tickets, with a focus on what can realistically be shipped within two days. This approach not only empowers individual engineers but also forces the team to think more strategically about how they approach problems.
This approach reduces the bottlenecks often associated with long sprint cycles, where teams may feel pressure to deliver large features all at once.
3. High Test Coverage Enables Speed Without Sacrificing Quality
How does Chris’s team manage to deploy in two days without breaking things? At CollegeVine, engineers write and maintain the tests, ensuring high test coverage and quality control before code hits production. Chris’s team doesn’t have a manual QA process. Instead, they rely heavily on the automated tests and trust their engineers to write high-quality code. While this might not work for every organization, it’s a bold move that has paid off for CollegeVine. It challenges the traditional role of QA as a gatekeeper and shifts the responsibility directly to the engineers, driving accountability and speed.
4. Feature Flagging for Incremental Releases
Feature flags play a crucial role in CollegeVine’s ability to ship fast. Chris explained how his team can build larger features incrementally by rolling out small pieces of functionality under feature flags. This allows them to ship code to production, even if the final feature isn’t fully ready for users to see. Over time, as the feature develops, the flags are lifted for more users, starting with internal testing, then beta testers, and finally, full release.
This strategy is invaluable for any team looking to avoid bottlenecks while working on complex features. It keeps momentum going without introducing unnecessary risk, and it allows teams to collect feedback early in the development process.
5. Hiring for Speed and Problem-Solving
At CollegeVine, the hiring process is specifically designed to find engineers who can thrive in a fast-moving environment. Candidates are told upfront about the two-day cycle times and are evaluated on their ability to break down problems, think critically, and adapt to new information quickly. What I found most compelling is that the interview process isn’t just about technical skills—it’s about assessing how candidates approach problem-solving in real-world situations.
6. AI is Not a Replacement for Critical Thinking
Towards the end of our conversation, we touched on the role of AI in software development. While AI tools can help accelerate coding tasks and even assist in automating some processes, Chris made a critical point: AI will never replace the need for engineers to solve complex problems. The ability to break down a problem, evaluate possible solutions, and think critically about constraints is a uniquely human skill that remains invaluable.
7. Remote Work Is Here to Stay, but Process is Key
Finally, Chris shared some valuable thoughts on managing a fully remote team. While CollegeVine started as a hybrid organization, they are now fully remote, with team members spread across multiple continents. Managing a global team requires a strong focus on asynchronous communication, but Chris also stressed the importance of having some synchronous overlap, even if only for a few hours each day.
Documentation, thoughtful use of communication tools, and internal wikis, and a clear process for decision-making are essential in this environment. Chris’s approach aligns with how we operate at Revelo, where remote work and asynchronous collaboration are the norm. With the right tools and processes in place, remote teams can be just as effective—if not more so—than in-office teams.
Conclusion: Speed Drives Innovation
My conversation with Chris reinforced the idea that the faster you deploy, the faster you learn, and the faster your business can adapt. Whether you’re leading a small engineering team or managing a large-scale operation, the principles of rapid iteration, empowered engineers, and a commitment to learning can transform how your organization operates.
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