How do we stop required checks from creeping back in?

Set a hard cap (e.g., 5). New required checks must replace an existing one and come with an owner, metric, and SLO (precision >95%, runtime <2m). Review quarterly; demote flaky/noisy checks.

What about monorepos with mixed stacks?

Scope checks by path. Run only language-relevant jobs for changed files. Use CODEOWNERS by directory and per-path CI matrices. Keep the global required set tiny; everything else is dynamic and optional.

Can we trust AI to review PRs?

Use AI for summaries, risk flags, and TODO aggregation. Don’t block merges on AI judgments. Treat it like a helpful intern: great at drafting, not authorized to push the red button.

Where do e2e and performance tests fit?

Post-merge on canaries or nightly. Gate promotions, not merges. Use feature flags and a rollback-first posture. If you must run them pre-merge, keep them advisory and sample-based.

How do we keep security happy without sandbagging delivery?

Stage enforcement. Start advisory with curated Semgrep and Checkov. Promote a small set of validated rules to required. Route exceptions via code (labels, tags), not email. Publish SLAs and dashboards.

Platform-productivity · Nov 6, 2025 · 9 minute read

Stop Letting Code Review Become a Toll Booth: Automation That Keeps Quality High and Delivery Fast

Q: What about monorepos with mixed stacks?

Scope checks by path. Run only language-relevant jobs for changed files. Use CODEOWNERS by directory and per-path CI matrices. Keep the global required set tiny; everything else is dynamic and optional.

Q: Can we trust AI to review PRs?

Use AI for summaries, risk flags, and TODO aggregation. Don’t block merges on AI judgments. Treat it like a helpful intern: great at drafting, not authorized to push the red button.

Q: Where do e2e and performance tests fit?

Post-merge on canaries or nightly. Gate promotions, not merges. Use feature flags and a rollback-first posture. If you must run them pre-merge, keep them advisory and sample-based.

Q: How do we keep security happy without sandbagging delivery?

Stage enforcement. Start advisory with curated Semgrep and Checkov. Promote a small set of validated rules to required. Route exceptions via code (labels, tags), not email. Publish SLAs and dashboards.

Block on signal, not on vibes. Here’s the paved-road setup that cuts PR cycle time without gambling on quality.

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Stop Letting Code Review Become a Toll Booth: Automation That Keeps Quality High and Delivery Fast

Key takeaways

Implementation checklist