Elite Performance with Trunk-based Development

The Accelerate State of DevOps report by DORA highlights that top-performing software development teams carry out code deployments nearly a thousand times more frequently than the lowest performers, often utilizing trunk-based development. Trunk-based development is a version control management practice where developers work in short-lived branches and merge their work into a shared trunk frequently. This methodology streamlines merging and integration phases, reduces batch size, and creates an iterative communication pattern. It also encourages collective flow state, minimizes complexity, and supports collaborative achievement of a flow state. However, adopting trunk-based development may not be suitable for everyone and comes with its challenges, such as managing monolithic repositories and ensuring codebase integrity. Despite these challenges, the benefits of trunk-based development can lead to higher job satisfaction, lower rates of burnout, and a highly-generative working culture.