However, we should not be optimizing for the rate at which we declare things “done” in isolation on a branch. We should optimize for the overall lead time — the time it takes us to deliver valuable software to users. Optimizing for “dev complete” time is precisely what causes “integration hell.” A painful and unpredictable “last mile” of integration and testing, in turn, perpetuates the long release cycles that are a major factor in project overruns, poor quality software, higher overall costs, and dissatisfied users.
