If done correctly, code reviews can lead to healthy, constructive dialogue. But if you are careless, it can lead to futile bikeshedding over details that barely matter.
Investing in systematic code reviews can help circumvent common pitfalls, while growing the confidence of code authors. Finding that balance is invaluable and leads to happier, more engaged engineering teams.
Bad code reviews can stunt people and processes
The primary goal of a good code review process is to ensure that code can be shipped without breaking production, while also improving code maintainability and readability.
When I wanted to learn how to write good code, I read books like Clean Code by Robert Martin and Effective Java by Joshua Blosch.