Defending every line in code review

I remember second-guessing and over-analyzing every line of code I modified in Google’s codebase… fully aware that it could (and likely would) be torn apart during review.

Super frustrating at times, but looking back, it taught me a lot:

• Thoroughness matters; there’s simply no cutting corners at that scale.
• If I couldn’t defend a change, I probably shouldn’t have made it.
• Socialize early; a few minutes of conversation with a stakeholder might save me hours of pointless work.
• Reputation compounds; after a few PRs with the same reviewers, you start to learn their style, and they start to trust you.

While this mindset can slow momentum (and personally, I prefer a more fast-moving environment), it pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect.