The power of Feedback

✨ Dev Shorts #2 - short and meaningful.

Hello,

Welcome back to another ✨ Dev Shorts — short and meaningful article.

This time we will be discussing about Feedback.

From a developer's perspective, feedback is an essential tool for both professional and personal growth.

There was a time in my career when feedback felt like a spotlight on everything I didn’t get right.

Whether it was a code review, a comment in a design review, or a passing suggestion during a retro — I’d often feel tense about it. But over time, I learned something that shifted everything: feedback isn’t a threat. It’s a faster way forward.

And when you learn to lean into it, feedback becomes one of the fastest ways to grow.

From Resistance to Acceleration

I used to see feedback as evaluation — a spotlight on what I might’ve missed. And that was uncomfortable.

Everything shifted when I had to build the entire frontend architecture of an app from scratch. I was the only frontend engineer, and the stakes were high: the system had to be scalable, maintainable, and easy for others to pick up.

I shared an early version with a backend colleague with fullstack experience, whose feedback went beyond code — he pointed out architectural gaps, suggested a modular structure, clearer boundaries, and smarter testing and deployment strategies.

It helped me spot blind spots I couldn't see on my own. Not because I wasn’t capable — but because when you're that close to the problem, it’s easy to miss things.

That experience taught me this: feedback isn’t a weakness — it’s a growth accelerator.

What Makes Feedback Powerful?

Not all feedback is created equal. The kind that accelerates your growth usually has these traits:

• Timely — Close enough to the moment to be meaningful

• Specific — Focused on clear behaviors or outcomes, not personalities

• Actionable — Something you can actually act on, not vague or moralizing

• Delivered with care — Feedback lands better when you know it comes from someone who wants you to grow

And equally important: how you receive it matters just as much as how it’s given.

Feedback Is Everywhere — If You Listen

In tech, feedback loops are part of everything:

• PR reviews are a form of peer feedback

• User interviews reveal how well your assumptions hold up

• Design reviews sharpen both product thinking and communication

• Team retros show what’s working and what needs attention

Whether it’s through conversations, metrics, or behavior patterns, we’re constantly getting information. Feedback isn’t always a formal session — it’s often hiding in plain sight.

Making Feedback a Habit

If you want to accelerate your growth, don’t wait for feedback to come to you. Invite it.

• Ask: “What’s one thing I could improve next time?”

• Normalize it: treat feedback like input, not judgment

• Reflect: don’t react immediately — let it sit, and then decide how to use it

• Close the loop: “Thanks, I updated this based on your suggestion.” or “Thank you for your feedback. I have investigated the issue and I believe there is a problem with the API’s filtering functionality. I’ll investigate this issue with the backend team as well and I’ll keep you updated here.”

But there’s one more thing: be kind.

Feedback is only effective if the person receiving it feels safe enough to hear it. That doesn’t mean sugarcoating the truth — it means being mindful of tone, timing, and intention.

You can be direct and still be respectful. You can be critical and still be supportive. A well-timed “this could be better, and here’s how” lands so much better when the person knows it’s coming from a place of care, not ego.

In short: be the kind of feedback-giver you'd want to receive feedback from.

Closing Thought

The fastest way I’ve grown in my career wasn’t by working harder. It was by listening better.

Feedback, when viewed with the right mindset, is a powerful tool. Not just pointing out what’s wrong, but guiding you to what’s next.

If you’ve ever received a piece of feedback that changed how you think or work — I’d love to hear it.

Until next time,

— Stefania

👋 Get in touch

Feel free to reach out to me here on Substack or on LinkedIn.