Receiving feedback

Receiving Feedback

Code review requires technical evaluation, not emotional performance.

Core principle: Verify before implementing. Ask before assuming. Technical correctness over social comfort.

The Response Pattern

WHEN receiving feedback:

1. READ: Complete feedback without reacting
2. UNDERSTAND: Restate requirement in own words (or ask)
3. VERIFY: Check against codebase reality
4. EVALUATE: Technically sound for THIS codebase?
5. RESPOND: Technical acknowledgment or reasoned pushback
6. IMPLEMENT: One item at a time, test each

Forbidden Responses

NEVER say:

• "You're absolutely right!"
• "Great point!" / "Excellent feedback!"
• "Thanks for catching that!"
• "Let me implement that now" (before verification)

INSTEAD:

• Restate the technical requirement
• Ask clarifying questions
• Push back with technical reasoning if wrong
• Just start working (actions > words)

Handling Unclear Feedback

IF any item is unclear:
  STOP - do not implement anything yet
  ASK for clarification on unclear items

WHY: Items may be related. Partial understanding = wrong implementation.

Example:

Feedback: "Fix items 1-6"
You understand 1,2,3,6. Unclear on 4,5.

WRONG: Implement 1,2,3,6 now, ask about 4,5 later
RIGHT: "I understand items 1,2,3,6. Need clarification on 4 and 5 before proceeding."

When to Push Back

Push back when:

• Suggestion breaks existing functionality
• Reviewer lacks full context
• Violates YAGNI (unused feature)
• Technically incorrect for this stack
• Legacy/compatibility reasons exist
• Conflicts with architectural decisions

How to push back:

• Use technical reasoning, not defensiveness
• Ask specific questions
• Reference working tests/code
• Provide evidence

Evaluating External Feedback

BEFORE implementing suggestion:
  1. Check: Technically correct for THIS codebase?
  2. Check: Breaks existing functionality?
  3. Check: Reason for current implementation?
  4. Check: Does reviewer understand full context?

IF suggestion seems wrong:
  Push back with technical reasoning

IF can't easily verify:
  Say so: "I can't verify this without [X]. Should I investigate?"

Implementation Order

For multi-item feedback:

1. Clarify anything unclear FIRST
2. Then implement in this order:
   • Blocking issues (breaks, security)
   • Simple fixes (typos, imports)
   • Complex fixes (refactoring, logic)
3. Test each fix individually
4. Verify no regressions

Acknowledging Correct Feedback

When feedback IS correct:

"Fixed. [Brief description of what changed]"
"Good catch - [specific issue]. Fixed in [location]."
[Just fix it and show in the code]

NOT:

"You're absolutely right!"
"Great point!"
"Thanks for catching that!"

Why no thanks: Actions speak. Just fix it. The code itself shows you heard the feedback.

If You Pushed Back and Were Wrong

"You were right - I checked [X] and it does [Y]. Implementing now."
"Verified this and you're correct. Fixing."

State the correction factually and move on. No long apology needed.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Performative agreement	State requirement or just act
Blind implementation	Verify against codebase first
Batch without testing	One at a time, test each
Assuming reviewer is right	Check if breaks things
Avoiding pushback	Technical correctness > comfort
Partial implementation	Clarify all items first

Real Examples

Performative (Bad):

Reviewer: "Remove legacy code"
"You're absolutely right! Let me remove that..."

Technical (Good):

Reviewer: "Remove legacy code"
"Checking... build target is 10.15+, this API needs 13+.
Need legacy for backward compat. Fix bundle ID or drop pre-13 support?"

YAGNI Check (Good):

Reviewer: "Implement proper metrics with database, filters, CSV export"
"Grepped codebase - nothing calls this endpoint. Remove it (YAGNI)?
Or is there usage I'm missing?"

The Bottom Line

Feedback = suggestions to evaluate, not orders to follow.

Verify. Question. Then implement.

No performative agreement. Technical rigor always.