📦 Release first ⏩ Ship faster ⚡

☝️ What do we mean by "First"?

What do we mean by Release "First"? Several things:

  • First in the timeline of development.
  • First thing we focus on during implementation.
  • First priority.

Simply put, implement the Big Green Button before implementing the actual deliverable. This might include:

  • Tests
  • CI/CD
  • Build automation
  • Deployment scripts
  • PCB release automation
  • Clear user documentation
  • etc.

This becomes part of the review process, part of the culture, part of the expectation, and part of the daily habit — make it easy to release.

Because the Big Green Button does not ship to customers, forgetting and neglecting this step comes naturally. Release First is a simple hack to ensure it gets done before the rush to do other things.

Release First: release infrastructure before the deliverable

Cliff Brake February 20, 2026 #release #automation #deployment #process #culture #habits #discipline #shipping