People are now writing code faster than they can roll it out to their users.
You need a plan for rolling out new features and updates. This is not optional anymore.
I've made so many mistakes deploying updates to software I've built that I could write an encyclopedia about everything you should and shouldn't do.
One of the most important lessons I've learned:
Never rush new code in front of all your users, especially now that agents generate so much of our code.
You need a way to decide what goes live, who gets it first, and when it's ready for more people.
This is how I usually implement this:
1. I have a new feature I want to release. I put it behind a switch in the code so I can turn it on or off. We call this "feature flags."
2. After I test the code, I deploy it with the flag off. Nobody has access to it at first. I want the deployment and the feature to become two separate decisions.
3. I then turn the flag on for a small group of users while everyone else keeps using the existing version.
4. I monitor what happens with the feature. Does it work as I expected? Are there any errors?
5. I gradually let more people use the new feature until I'm comfortable removing the flag.
6. If something breaks, I can turn the flag off for everyone and stop the problem until I fix it.
I call these gradual rollouts "canary releases". They're easy to implement with feature flags.
Feature flags don't replace code reviews or testing. They just give you another layer of control.
You don't have to build a feature flags system yourself. @LaunchDarkly manages the whole thing for you:
- Add flags to your code
- Choose who gets the feature
- Increase the group over time
- Turn flags on or off without redeploying
- Implement guarded rollouts to watch metrics during a release
- Use automatic rollbacks
Here is a link to get started: https://fandf.co/4yWcjSq
Agentic coding is amazing, but it's only worth it if you can confidently put working software in front of your users.
Thanks to the LaunchDarkly team for partnering with me on this post.