Code reviews as a tool to build capability

Code reviews should be treated as a learning engine, not a gate that slows shipping. The author argues that the real purpose of reviews is to spread knowledge, surface patterns, and build collective capability across senior and junior engineers. By reframing reviews as teaching moments, teams turn each PR into a chance to document good patterns or expose hidden assumptions.

The post breaks down four common review styles-Perfectionist, Rubber Stamp, Style Police, and Silent Treatment-showing how each optimizes for a narrow metric like thoroughness or speed while ignoring growth. It then outlines concrete shifts: clarify the review's learning goal, use language that invites discussion, and have authors embed context, alternatives considered, and specific feedback requests in the PR description.

Practical examples include asking "What do you think about this approach?" instead of "Fix this", and adding "Nit:" prefixes for low-impact comments. The author also maps these ideas onto pair programming and trunk-based development, showing that knowledge sharing can happen in real-time or via bite-sized commits. Metrics such as reduced onboarding time, fewer knowledge silos, and higher team confidence signal success.

Ultimately, the article tells technical leaders that investing time in compassionate, capability-focused reviews pays back through faster onboarding, stronger mental models, and higher quality code, because the team's learning capacity becomes the most valuable asset.