Understand the contract
Read the requirements, expected behaviour, and conditions the implementation must satisfy.
VENTURE 03 / 03
DEVELOPER TECHNOLOGY
don't-break-prod
Would
you ship
this?
The code looks right. The tests look clean. But is it actually safe for production?
Don't Break Prod is an interactive platform designed to sharpen engineering judgment through realistic code-review decisions. Examine a proposed change, compare it against the requirements, and decide whether it should ship.
PLATFORM STATUS
Live Platform
review-session / example
THE CONTRACT
Retry attempts must stop once the configured limit has been reached.
retry-handler.js
DIFF
// Maximum allowed retries: 3
- if (attempts >= 3) {
+ if (attempts > 3) {
return stopRetrying();
}
YOUR DECISION
ENGINEERING JUDGMENT
PRODUCTION THINKING
Illustrative review scenario, not a live platform interaction.
PLATFORM
Don't Break Prod
FOCUS
Engineering Judgment
STATUS
Live
MY ROLE
Co-Founder & Technical Contributor
01
THE IDEA
WHY DON'T BREAK PROD EXISTS
Writing code
is one thing.
Trusting it
is another.
AI can generate code at extraordinary speed. But someone still has to decide whether that code is safe to deploy.
A proposed change can look perfectly reasonable while quietly violating a requirement, introducing a regression, or changing behaviour that other systems depend on.
Don't Break Prod turns that challenge into an interactive learning experience. Instead of simply writing code, you practise the judgment required to review it.
The goal is to become better at spotting risky changes, challenging assumptions, and making informed production decisions.
THE CENTRAL QUESTION
Does this change
actually honour
the contract?
02
THE PROCESS
FROM REVIEW TO VERDICT
FOUR STEPS. ONE DECISION.
Think before
Think before
you
ship.
Each scenario puts you in the reviewer's seat. Your job is to examine the evidence and decide whether a proposed change belongs in production.
Review the change
Inspect the proposed code changes and consider what they actually do.
Look for the risk
Compare the implementation against the requirements. Consider edge cases, assumptions, and possible regressions.
Make the call
Decide whether to ship or block the change, then review the verdict and its explanation.
03
THE EXPERIENCE
TWO WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
Your review.
Your rules.
Choose a relaxed learning experience or test yourself against the clock in a competitive weekly challenge.
MODE 01
>_
LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE
Practice Mode.
Explore a library of code-review challenges without the pressure of a timer.
- Browse available scenarios
- Filter by difficulty and category
- Make decisions at your own pace
- Explore verdicts and explanations
MODE 02
◉
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
Arcade Mode.
Put your engineering instincts to the test through a weekly challenge of five scenarios.
- Five scenarios in each weekly challenge
- Speed and accuracy both matter
- One attempt per weekly challenge
- Compete on the weekly leaderboard
04
THE PLATFORM
A LOOK INSIDE
BUILT FOR DECISION-MAKING
Inside
Inside
Don't Break Prod.
A look at the platform where developers can practise evaluating code changes and making production decisions.
05
BEYOND THE CODE
WHAT YOU PRACTISE
Good judgment
prevents
bad releases.
The platform focuses on the thinking that happens between seeing a code change and approving it.
01
Contract Awareness
Recognising when an implementation conflicts with agreed requirements.
02
Risk Identification
Spotting subtle bugs, overlooked edge cases, and dangerous assumptions.
03
Code Review Discipline
Evaluating changes based on behaviour rather than how convincing they appear.
04
Production Thinking
Considering the consequences of approving a change before it reaches a live environment.
06
MY INVOLVEMENT
BEHIND THE PLATFORM
CO-FOUNDER & TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTOR
Building
Building
something
different.
Don't Break Prod brings together software engineering, critical thinking, and interactive learning.
I'm involved as a Co-Founder and Technical Contributor, supporting the technical direction and development of the platform.
The project reflects an area of engineering I'm particularly interested in: understanding how systems behave, questioning assumptions, and recognising issues before they become production problems.
MY ROLE
Co-Founder
& Technical Contributor
& Technical Contributor
07
MORE TO EXPLORE
THE PLATFORM ECOSYSTEM
Keep
learning.
Beyond the interactive challenges, Don't Break Prod also shares ideas about engineering, AI-generated code, and the changing nature of software development.
08
FEEDBACK
HELP IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE
YOUR INPUT MATTERS
Found a bug?
Found a bug?
Have an
idea?
Feedback helps identify issues, improve existing experiences, and explore ideas for future development.
Bug Reports
Feature Suggestions
General Feedback
SEND FEEDBACK
Tell us what you think.
Found an issue, have a suggestion, or want to share your experience? Submit your feedback directly using the form below.