How Feedback Loops Transform Development Efficiency with Ashley Davis

Feedback-Driven Development: Optimizing Your Software Engineering Process

In this enlightening conversation with author Ashley Davis, Matt Watson explores the concept of feedback-driven development and how it shapes effective software engineering practices. Ashley, author of “Bootstrapping Microservices” and the upcoming “The Feedback-Driven Developer,” shares valuable insights on how developers can leverage feedback loops to enhance their productivity, make better decisions, and deliver more value to customers. They discuss the shifting landscape of software development in the age of AI, the importance of personal feedback systems, and why understanding product priorities is crucial for modern developers.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

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GET THE PRODUCT DRIVEN BOOK: https://productdriven.com/book

Ashley Davis on Twitter: @ashleydavis75

“Bootstrapping Microservices” book: Manning.com/books/bootstrapping-microservices-with-docker-kubernetes-and-terraform

“The Feedback-Driven Developer” (Early Access): Manning.com

Key Discussion Points:

🔄 The concept of personal feedback loops in the development process

🎯 How prioritizing by “value over cost to deliver” leads to better decisions

🔍 The critical importance of getting clarity before diving into code

🚀 Why prototyping is one of the most effective feedback mechanisms

🤖 How AI is shifting the bottleneck from engineering to product decision-making

⚠️ The pitfall of “moving fast in the wrong direction” with AI assistance

🧩 Techniques for self-review and maintaining working code

🏗️ When microservices architecture makes sense (and when it doesn’t)

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction and Welcome

00:25 – The Experience of Being a Tech Book Author

00:53 – Origins of “The Feedback-Driven Developer” Book

02:11 – Defining “Feedback” in Software Development

03:52 – The Importance of Understanding Trade-offs

05:35 – Ensuring You’re Working on the Right Thing

07:34 – Getting Feedback on Implementation Approaches

09:06 – Clarity as the Fuel of Software Development

11:16 – AI’s Impact on the Software Development Bottleneck

13:13 – Why the Best Developers Think Like Product Owners

14:54 – Process Theater vs. Value Delivery

16:19 – Building Feedback into Your Development Loop

17:23 – Production Monitoring and Performance Feedback

19:32 – Key Insights and Aha Moments from the Book

22:44 – Developers QA-ing Their Own Code

25:21 – When to Use Microservices Architecture

27:43 – Book Information and Closing Thoughts

Ready to transform your development process with effective feedback systems? Get early access to “The Feedback-Driven Developer” at Manning.com by searching for the book title. New chapters are released every month or two, and the first three chapters are available now. Check the show notes for a special discount code for our listeners!