Branching & Releases
How a team moves changes from a branch to a shipped version.
Backend Engineer track
Junior
Write correct code, ship small changes safely, ask good questions.
- ChangelogA human-readable list of notable changes per release.
- Feature BranchA short-lived branch for one change.
- GitHub FlowBranch from main, open a PR, merge back to main.
- HotfixAn urgent fix shipped outside the normal release cycle.
- Protected BranchA branch that requires reviews and passing checks before merging.
- Semantic VersioningMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, and what each number promises about compatibility.
Mid-level
Own a feature end to end without hand-holding.
- Branching StrategyThe team's rules for how branches are created and merged.
- Git FlowA model with develop, feature, release and hotfix branches.
- Long-Lived BranchA branch kept for weeks, and the painful merges that follow.
- Release BranchA branch stabilized for shipping a specific version.
- Release NotesA user-facing explanation of what changed in a release.
- Trunk-Based DevelopmentEveryone merges small changes to main frequently.
Senior
Own a system, its failure modes, and its trade-offs.
Nothing here yet.
Staff
Shape how many teams build, across systems.
Nothing here yet.
Principal
Set technical direction for the organization.
Nothing here yet.
Data Engineer track
Junior
Build and fix pipelines from clear specs; write correct SQL.
- ChangelogA human-readable list of notable changes per release.
- Feature BranchA short-lived branch for one change.
- GitHub FlowBranch from main, open a PR, merge back to main.
- HotfixAn urgent fix shipped outside the normal release cycle.
- Protected BranchA branch that requires reviews and passing checks before merging.
- Semantic VersioningMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, and what each number promises about compatibility.
Mid-level
Own pipelines and models end to end, including their quality.
- Branching StrategyThe team's rules for how branches are created and merged.
- Git FlowA model with develop, feature, release and hotfix branches.
- Long-Lived BranchA branch kept for weeks, and the painful merges that follow.
- Release BranchA branch stabilized for shipping a specific version.
- Release NotesA user-facing explanation of what changed in a release.
- Trunk-Based DevelopmentEveryone merges small changes to main frequently.
Senior
Design the platform's storage, processing and modeling choices.
Nothing here yet.
Staff
Shape how the whole organization produces and uses data.
Nothing here yet.
Principal
Set data strategy and architecture across the company.
Nothing here yet.
Frontend Engineer track
Junior
Build UI that works, ship small changes safely, ask good questions.
- ChangelogA human-readable list of notable changes per release.
- Feature BranchA short-lived branch for one change.
- GitHub FlowBranch from main, open a PR, merge back to main.
- HotfixAn urgent fix shipped outside the normal release cycle.
- Protected BranchA branch that requires reviews and passing checks before merging.
- Semantic VersioningMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, and what each number promises about compatibility.
Mid-level
Own a feature end to end without hand-holding.
- Branching StrategyThe team's rules for how branches are created and merged.
- Git FlowA model with develop, feature, release and hotfix branches.
- Long-Lived BranchA branch kept for weeks, and the painful merges that follow.
- Release BranchA branch stabilized for shipping a specific version.
- Release NotesA user-facing explanation of what changed in a release.
- Trunk-Based DevelopmentEveryone merges small changes to main frequently.
Senior
Own an app's architecture, performance, and failure modes.
Nothing here yet.
Staff
Shape how many teams build, across apps.
Nothing here yet.
Principal
Set technical direction for the organization.
Nothing here yet.