How to Optimize Non-Coding Time

Developers spend as little as two hours a day coding. Learn how to optimize the other six by fixing your pull request workflow.

#1about 2 minutes

Why developers spend most of their time not coding

Developers spend only a fraction of their day coding, with the majority of time spent on related non-coding activities like code reviews and meetings.

#2about 3 minutes

Analyzing pull request cycle time and idle time

Pull request cycle time is broken down into coding, pickup, and review phases, with research showing that PRs are idle for about half their lifespan.

#3about 5 minutes

Understanding the two types of pull request idle time

PR delays are caused by transition time from handoffs and distraction time from interruptions, both of which increase cognitive load and slow down the entire process.

#4about 2 minutes

The case for continuous merge without eliminating pull requests

Pull requests are essential for quality, knowledge sharing, and onboarding junior developers, so the goal is to make the process efficient through a continuous merge mindset.

#5about 3 minutes

Strategies for optimizing and routing pull requests

Improve PR workflows by optimizing communication and context, and by routing PRs into different lanes like 'ship', 'show', or 'ask' based on their complexity.

#6about 3 minutes

Actionable tips for faster pull request reviews

Keep pull requests small, provide an estimated review time to reduce pickup delays, and use synchronous reviews for complex PRs to save time.

#7about 2 minutes

Automating workflows with Slack and Jira integrations

Tools can automate non-coding work like creating Jira tickets from pull requests or allowing PR approvals directly within Slack to reduce friction.

#8about 4 minutes

Adding context with browser and IDE extensions

Browser extensions can add context like estimated review time to GitHub, while IDE plugins can warn about potential conflicts before a PR is even created.

#9about 1 minute

Comparing pull requests with pair programming

Pair programming is a valuable synchronous review option for complex work but is difficult to apply universally, making it another tool for routing decisions.