Feature Flags: When Branching Isn't the Answer | Branches That Don't Suck #5
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Video Description
A branch is an integration credit card — you're buying isolation now, but you'll pay for it later with a merge. What if there was another way?
Feature flags let you decouple deployment from activation. Deploy code to production but keep it turned off until you're ready. Instant rollback. Gradual rollout. Private betas. Things that are hard or impossible with branches alone.
In this video, you'll learn: • Why branches couple code and releases (and why that's a problem) • How feature flags work and what they enable • When to use branches vs when to use flags • The downsides of feature flags (yes, there are real costs) • How to get started with your first feature flag
This applies whether you're using GitHub, Azure DevOps, GitLab, or any Git-based workflow.
#git #featureflags #devops #softwaredevelopment #branching
0:00 Feature Flags: When Branching Isn't the Answer 0:25 A branch is an integration credit card. 0:42 Code-Based Releases 1:16 What if you could decouple them? 1:30 Feature Flags: The Basics 2:02 Code-Based vs Configuration-Based Releases 3:04 What Feature Flags Enable 3:49 ⚠️ The Downsides 4:35 The system is permanent. The flags are temporary. 5:00 When Should You Branch vs Flag? 5:33 Is your branching problem actually a fear problem? 5:58 Getting Started 6:43 Quick Recap 7:26 Thanks for Watching
Video Info
- Duration: 7:30
- Published: January 29, 2026
