Trunk-based commits, atomic changes.
Git is your safety net. Treat commits as save points, branches as sandboxes, and history as documentation. With AI agents generating code at high speed, disciplined version control is the mechanism that keeps changes manageable, reviewable, and reversible.
Always. Every code change flows through git.
Keep main always deployable. Work in short-lived feature branches that merge back within 1-3 days. Long-lived development branches are hidden costs — they diverge, create merge conflicts, and delay integration. DORA research consistently shows trunk-based development correlates with high-performing engineering teams.
main ──●──●──●──●──●──●──●──●──●── (always deployable)
╲ ╱ ╲ ╱
●──●─╱ ●──╱ ← short-lived feature branches (1-3 days)
This is the recommended default. Teams using gitflow or long-lived branches can adapt the principles (atomic commits, small changes, descriptive messages) to their branching model — the commit discipline matters more than the specific branching strategy.
Each successful increment gets its own commit. Don't accumulate large uncommitted changes.
Work pattern:
Implement slice → Test → Verify → Commit → Next slice
Not this:
Implement everything → Hope it works → Giant commit
Commits are save points. If the next change breaks something, you can revert to the last known-good state instantly.
Each commit does one logical thing:
# Good: Each commit is self-contained
git log --oneline
a1b2c3d Add task creation endpoint with validation
d4e5f6g Add task creation form component
h7i8j9k Connect form to API and add loading state
m1n2o3p Add task creation tests (unit + integration)
# Bad: Everything mixed together
git log --oneline
x1y2z3a Add task feature, fix sidebar, update deps, refactor utils
Commit messages explain the why, not just the what:
# Good: Explains intent