CI/CD from Day One is Your Job as a CTO

1. Catching Bugs and Preventing Regressions

Automated tests during the early stages of a project can help catch bugs and prevent regressions, especially as data models evolve frequently. Implementing CI/CD from day one helps focus on seeding data, roll-back strategies, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) from the beginning, where otherwise, backfilling these later can be challenging.

2. Familiarizing Developers with Business Value

In the initial phase of the project, the code is frequently changing. Implementing CI/CD early on allows developers to familiarize themselves with the core business value. As refactors are more frequent, automation helps ensure that key customer flows are not broken.

3. Overcoming Challenges with Idempotent Tests and IaC

Setting up CI/CD from the get-go isn't without its challenges. Issues can arise from non-idempotent tests and inefficient Infrastructure as Code (IaC) patterns. But with a good config strategy and serverless services, you can create flexible, repeatable patterns for development and production environments. Plus, running integration tests in development ensures deployment safety.

4. Influencing Team Culture and Collaboration

CI/CD implementation encourages a mindset where end-to-end tests are not just about bug prevention but also ensuring deployment safety. It reinforces the culture of collaboration and keeps the team focused on product design and customer experience.

5. Advice for Fellow CTOs

Starting CI/CD from day one might be intimidating, but it's an investment worth making. Serverless services can speed up environment setup for CI/CD and make your deployments safer. Keep in mind that your goal should always be to make long-term beneficial decisions for the product and the team.