code talks 2022 - Trunk Based Development – Optimizing for Team Performance

by Moritz Deißner

In recent years, Trunk Based Development, or TBD for short, has been gaining traction as an alternative approach to software development in teams. In my talk, I will explain the basics of how TBD works, what is new about it and how it compares to the dominant development paradigm. Moreover, I will emphasize the preconditions teams have to meet to implement it and explain the benefits it can have for teams developing together.

I will draw on the experiences I have gained at my current company, where we have begun implementing TBD in our development teams over the course of the last two years. Having done this, we have learned a lot about how to integrate such a new approach while bringing everyone along for the ride – and about how we can more easily collaborate as a team. (Spoiler: TBD has upped our game immensely.)

With my talk, I want to convince the audience that the currently dominant approach in software development (“Feature Branches & Peer Code Reviews”) is in no way optimal. In fact, it is actually an expression of a lack in real readiness to cooperate, as well as technical skill sets. Listeners will leave the room with a more optimistic outlook on development, knowing that many of the things they don’t like about their work are not set in stone, and that there can be a better way.