[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":823},["ShallowReactive",2],{"/en-us/blog/dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration":3,"navigation-en-us":40,"banner-en-us":451,"footer-en-us":461,"blog-post-authors-en-us-Sid Sijbrandij":700,"blog-related-posts-en-us-dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration":718,"blog-promotions-en-us":761,"next-steps-en-us":813},{"id":4,"title":5,"authorSlugs":6,"authors":8,"body":10,"category":11,"categorySlug":11,"config":12,"content":16,"date":20,"description":17,"extension":25,"externalUrl":26,"featured":14,"heroImage":19,"isFeatured":14,"meta":27,"navigation":28,"path":29,"publishedDate":20,"rawbody":30,"seo":31,"slug":13,"stem":35,"tagSlugs":36,"tags":38,"template":15,"updatedDate":26,"__hash__":39},"blogPosts/en-us/blog/dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration.yml","Don’t confuse these 12 shortcuts with iteration",[7],"sid-sijbrandij",[9],"Sid Sijbrandij","\n\n[Iteration](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/values/#iteration) is one of GitLab’s [top 3 values](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/values/#hierarchy) because it enables everyone to be efficient in how they deliver value to customers and the wider community. Iteration helps us [build our product and improve our work lives](/blog/power-of-iteration/).\n\nIn essence, iteration is reducing the scope of your next piece of work to the smallest valuable thing possible so that you can deliver it fast. By reducing the scope and delivering to the user, rather than holding it back while finishing a larger scope of work, you benefit in the following ways:\n\n- Reduce coordination efforts\n- Reduce cancellations\n- Easier and faster reviews\n- Get feedback faster\n\nIterating helps you ensure that your next step is in the right direction.\n\nAs we’ve practiced iteration at GitLab, I’ve found that when it’s not clearly understood, well-intentioned mistakes can happen. Because iteration is fundamental to everything that we do, it’s critical to regularly reinforce and refine what we define as an iteration.\n\nTo help clarify what is iteration, it helps to see examples of what iteration is not. Here are 12 shortcuts that I’ve seen be mistaken as iteration.\n\n## 1. Reducing quality\n\nSome people will take shortcuts, which leads to lower quality in the final product or deliverable. You can’t reduce quality to minimize the scope of an iteration. Your iteration needs to meet the same quality standards you would expect for any of your work.\n\nFor example, in the case of a user interface, every button needs to work and be properly styled and aligned. Nothing should feel out of place or unfinished. You can reduce the amount of functionality, but the functionality that you deliver needs to look and function as expected.\n\n## 2. Avoiding or reducing documentation\n\nWhen defining the scope of an iteration, make sure you include the right information so that the user can properly understand what happened and can derive value from your work. In the case of a new feature, without proper documentation, the recipient may not understand how to best use the feature, which defeats the purpose of delivering it quickly.\n\nIteration will make documentation faster given the reduced scope, so don’t avoid or delay the documentation.\n\n## 3. Compromising on security\n\nYou can’t compromise on security in the spirit of moving faster. An iteration must meet the same security standards and follow all the necessary security practices to ensure that your product and work doesn’t introduce any new vulnerabilities.\n\nAs an example, when building new features in GitLab, no matter how small an iteration is defined, we should always prioritize the protection of customers’ data.\n\n## 4. Delivering something that's not on the recommended path or on by default\n\nTo call an iteration complete, it needs to be on the recommended path or on by default. Otherwise, most users won’t see or benefit from the work.\n\nAt GitLab, in the past, we have made the mistake of considering an iteration complete before making a new feature the default or recommended path for all our users, which then results in fewer users for that functionality. To prevent having functionality in the product that users won’t find, we now require that the feature is on the recommended path and on by default before we call the iteration complete.\n\nFor big changes, such as when a feature may have a big impact on user experience or stability, we use feature flags when initially shipping a feature. This is a good strategy to start delivering something gradually into the product, but we don’t consider the iteration done until that feature flag has been removed and the feature is on by default.\n\n## 5. Shipping something of no value\n\nWhen considering the smallest scope possible for an iteration, the ultimate test needs to be whether it delivers something of value to the end user. Don’t confuse iteration with making progress on an initiative or checking off items on your to-do list.\n\nFor example, when building a new feature you may need to do a fair amount of set up. You may ship to production code that adds a configuration or capability that you’ll need to build the feature, but it’s completely transparent to the user. While that can be considered progress on your project timeline, it is not an iteration. The iteration completes when the user can start to derive some value from your efforts.\n\n## 6. An excuse to focus on unimportant items\n\nIteration will help you move faster and deliver more things, but you still have to prioritize and focus on what’s most important. When picking what to work on, you shouldn’t do first what’s smallest in scope. Instead, pick what will give you the highest value for the effort you’ll put in.\n\n## 7. Changing or lowering goalposts\n\nChanging a goal or lowering a goal is not iteration. Iteration is reducing the scope and keeping it small, but the reduced scope still needs to meet your goals. As you practice iteration, you may set goals for smaller time periods, which is a good practice I recommend. But changing the goal post is not a part of iteration.\n\n## 8. Revisions you don't ship or publish\n\nIt’s a common mistake to confuse revisions with iterations. To clearly understand the difference, see whether you’ve shipped or delivered something of value to the end user. If you haven’t, it is a revision, not an iteration.\n\nFor example, if when writing a blog post you get a draft reviewed and rewritten several times before publishing, those are considered revisions. Your first iteration is completed once you’ve published the first version of the blog post.\n\n## 9. An excuse to impose unrealistically tight timelines\n\nIf you set a timeline, it has to be realistic. I’ve seen instances in which people confuse iteration with just shrinking the timeline to something unrealistic. That is not iterating. Iteration is minimizing scope, but it requires a disciplined review of the scope to ensure that you’re allocating the right amount of time to complete it.\n\n## 10. An excuse to avoid planning\n\nSometimes teams confuse iteration with moving quickly on something without planning. This is not iterating. By reducing the scope, there will be less planning involved compared to the initial larger scope. But, no matter how small you make the scope of work, you need to plan, and that planning can be quite involved. You need to set an appropriate timeline to deliver the work and plan appropriately for reviews and dependencies.\n\nNot planning appropriately for an iteration negatively impacts efficiency, team morale, and can impact people’s lives outside of work. This needs to be avoided.\n\n## 11. Imposing long hours\n\nDon’t confuse iteration with imposing long working hours for a team. The goal of iterating is to scope work in a way that helps you deliver more tangible value within the same amount of time. Increasing the number of hours that the team works is not iteration.\n\n## 12. Expecting others to fix your work\n\nWhen you iterate, you need to take ownership and make sure that the end result is of value and meets all expectations of a finished product. You should not call an iteration complete if the work still requires fixing in order to be of value or meet quality expectations.\n\nAs GitLab grows as a company, reinforcing our Iteration value and staying clear about what is an iteration is fundamental to us [staying a startup](/company/still-a-startup/). I hope these 12 examples that are not iteration are helpful and empower everyone to help identify and correct situations when iteration is used incorrectly. Using iteration correctly will help us continue to move fast and deliver more value to our customers. It will also help keep the day-to-day momentum as we deliver valuable results.\n\nWatch this GitLab Unfiltered video where I discuss these 12 shortcuts that are not iteration.\n\n\u003C!-- blank line -->\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"video_container\">\n\n\u003Ciframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/BW6TWwNZzIQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"> \u003C/iframe>\n\n\u003C/figure>\n\n\u003C!-- blank line -->\n","devsecops",{"slug":13,"featured":14,"template":15},"dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration",false,"BlogPost",{"title":5,"description":17,"authors":18,"heroImage":19,"date":20,"body":10,"category":11,"tags":21},"Iteration is a GitLab value. Sid Sijbrandij, GitLab’s co-founder and CEO, discusses 12 shortcuts that are not iterations to help refine what is considered a good iteration.",[9],"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1749663383/Blog/Hero%20Images/tanuki-bg-full.png","2021-12-01",[22,23,24],"DevOps","workflow","production","yml",null,{},true,"/en-us/blog/dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration","seo:\n  title: Don’t confuse these 12 shortcuts with iteration\n  description: >-\n    Iteration is a GitLab value. Sid Sijbrandij, GitLab’s co-founder and CEO,\n    discusses 12 shortcuts that are not iterations to help refine what is\n    considered a good iteration.\n  ogTitle: Don’t confuse these 12 shortcuts with iteration\n  ogDescription: >-\n    Iteration is a GitLab value. Sid Sijbrandij, GitLab’s co-founder and CEO,\n    discusses 12 shortcuts that are not iterations to help refine what is\n    considered a good iteration.\n  noIndex: false\n  ogImage: >-\n    https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1749663383/Blog/Hero%20Images/tanuki-bg-full.png\n  ogUrl: >-\n    https://about.gitlab.com/blog/dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration\n  ogSiteName: https://about.gitlab.com\n  ogType: article\n  canonicalUrls: >-\n    https://about.gitlab.com/blog/dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration\ncontent:\n  title: Don’t confuse these 12 shortcuts with iteration\n  description: >-\n    Iteration is a GitLab value. Sid Sijbrandij, GitLab’s co-founder and CEO,\n    discusses 12 shortcuts that are not iterations to help refine what is\n    considered a good iteration.\n  authors:\n    - Sid Sijbrandij\n  heroImage: >-\n    https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1749663383/Blog/Hero%20Images/tanuki-bg-full.png\n  date: '2021-12-01'\n  body: \"\n\n\n    [Iteration](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/values/#iteration) is one\n    of GitLab’s [top 3\n    values](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/values/#hierarchy) because it\n    enables everyone to be efficient in how they deliver value to customers and\n    the wider community. Iteration helps us [build our product and improve our\n    work lives](/blog/power-of-iteration/).\n\n\n    In essence, iteration is reducing the scope of your next piece of work to\n    the smallest valuable thing possible so that you can deliver it fast. By\n    reducing the scope and delivering to the user, rather than holding it back\n    while finishing a larger scope of work, you benefit in the following ways:\n\n\n    - Reduce coordination efforts\n\n    - Reduce cancellations\n\n    - Easier and faster reviews\n\n    - Get feedback faster\n\n\n    Iterating helps you ensure that your next step is in the right direction.\n\n\n    As we’ve practiced iteration at GitLab, I’ve found that when it’s not\n    clearly understood, well-intentioned mistakes can happen. Because iteration\n    is fundamental to everything that we do, it’s critical to regularly\n    reinforce and refine what we define as an iteration.\n\n\n    To help clarify what is iteration, it helps to see examples of what\n    iteration is not. Here are 12 shortcuts that I’ve seen be mistaken as\n    iteration.\n\n\n    ## 1. Reducing quality\n\n\n    Some people will take shortcuts, which leads to lower quality in the final\n    product or deliverable. You can’t reduce quality to minimize the scope of an\n    iteration. Your iteration needs to meet the same quality standards you would\n    expect for any of your work.\n\n\n    For example, in the case of a user interface, every button needs to work and\n    be properly styled and aligned. Nothing should feel out of place or\n    unfinished. You can reduce the amount of functionality, but the\n    functionality that you deliver needs to look and function as expected.\n\n\n    ## 2. Avoiding or reducing documentation\n\n\n    When defining the scope of an iteration, make sure you include the right\n    information so that the user can properly understand what happened and can\n    derive value from your work. In the case of a new feature, without proper\n    documentation, the recipient may not understand how to best use the feature,\n    which defeats the purpose of delivering it quickly.\n\n\n    Iteration will make documentation faster given the reduced scope, so don’t\n    avoid or delay the documentation.\n\n\n    ## 3. Compromising on security\n\n\n    You can’t compromise on security in the spirit of moving faster. An\n    iteration must meet the same security standards and follow all the necessary\n    security practices to ensure that your product and work doesn’t introduce\n    any new vulnerabilities.\n\n\n    As an example, when building new features in GitLab, no matter how small an\n    iteration is defined, we should always prioritize the protection of\n    customers’ data.\n\n\n    ## 4. Delivering something that's not on the recommended path or on by\n    default\n\n\n    To call an iteration complete, it needs to be on the recommended path or on\n    by default. Otherwise, most users won’t see or benefit from the work.\n\n\n    At GitLab, in the past, we have made the mistake of considering an iteration\n    complete before making a new feature the default or recommended path for all\n    our users, which then results in fewer users for that functionality. To\n    prevent having functionality in the product that users won’t find, we now\n    require that the feature is on the recommended path and on by default before\n    we call the iteration complete.\n\n\n    For big changes, such as when a feature may have a big impact on user\n    experience or stability, we use feature flags when initially shipping a\n    feature. This is a good strategy to start delivering something gradually\n    into the product, but we don’t consider the iteration done until that\n    feature flag has been removed and the feature is on by default.\n\n\n    ## 5. Shipping something of no value\n\n\n    When considering the smallest scope possible for an iteration, the ultimate\n    test needs to be whether it delivers something of value to the end user.\n    Don’t confuse iteration with making progress on an initiative or checking\n    off items on your to-do list.\n\n\n    For example, when building a new feature you may need to do a fair amount of\n    set up. You may ship to production code that adds a configuration or\n    capability that you’ll need to build the feature, but it’s completely\n    transparent to the user. While that can be considered progress on your\n    project timeline, it is not an iteration. The iteration completes when the\n    user can start to derive some value from your efforts.\n\n\n    ## 6. An excuse to focus on unimportant items\n\n\n    Iteration will help you move faster and deliver more things, but you still\n    have to prioritize and focus on what’s most important. When picking what to\n    work on, you shouldn’t do first what’s smallest in scope. Instead, pick what\n    will give you the highest value for the effort you’ll put in.\n\n\n    ## 7. Changing or lowering goalposts\n\n\n    Changing a goal or lowering a goal is not iteration. Iteration is reducing\n    the scope and keeping it small, but the reduced scope still needs to meet\n    your goals. As you practice iteration, you may set goals for smaller time\n    periods, which is a good practice I recommend. But changing the goal post is\n    not a part of iteration.\n\n\n    ## 8. Revisions you don't ship or publish\n\n\n    It’s a common mistake to confuse revisions with iterations. To clearly\n    understand the difference, see whether you’ve shipped or delivered something\n    of value to the end user. If you haven’t, it is a revision, not an\n    iteration.\n\n\n    For example, if when writing a blog post you get a draft reviewed and\n    rewritten several times before publishing, those are considered revisions.\n    Your first iteration is completed once you’ve published the first version of\n    the blog post.\n\n\n    ## 9. An excuse to impose unrealistically tight timelines\n\n\n    If you set a timeline, it has to be realistic. I’ve seen instances in which\n    people confuse iteration with just shrinking the timeline to something\n    unrealistic. That is not iterating. Iteration is minimizing scope, but it\n    requires a disciplined review of the scope to ensure that you’re allocating\n    the right amount of time to complete it.\n\n\n    ## 10. An excuse to avoid planning\n\n\n    Sometimes teams confuse iteration with moving quickly on something without\n    planning. This is not iterating. By reducing the scope, there will be less\n    planning involved compared to the initial larger scope. But, no matter how\n    small you make the scope of work, you need to plan, and that planning can be\n    quite involved. You need to set an appropriate timeline to deliver the work\n    and plan appropriately for reviews and dependencies.\n\n\n    Not planning appropriately for an iteration negatively impacts efficiency,\n    team morale, and can impact people’s lives outside of work. This needs to be\n    avoided.\n\n\n    ## 11. Imposing long hours\n\n\n    Don’t confuse iteration with imposing long working hours for a team. The\n    goal of iterating is to scope work in a way that helps you deliver more\n    tangible value within the same amount of time. Increasing the number of\n    hours that the team works is not iteration.\n\n\n    ## 12. Expecting others to fix your work\n\n\n    When you iterate, you need to take ownership and make sure that the end\n    result is of value and meets all expectations of a finished product. You\n    should not call an iteration complete if the work still requires fixing in\n    order to be of value or meet quality expectations.\n\n\n    As GitLab grows as a company, reinforcing our Iteration value and staying\n    clear about what is an iteration is fundamental to us [staying a\n    startup](/company/still-a-startup/). I hope these 12 examples that are not\n    iteration are helpful and empower everyone to help identify and correct\n    situations when iteration is used incorrectly. Using iteration correctly\n    will help us continue to move fast and deliver more value to our customers.\n    It will also help keep the day-to-day momentum as we deliver valuable\n    results.\n\n\n    Watch this GitLab Unfiltered video where I discuss these 12 shortcuts that\n    are not iteration.\n\n\n    \u003C!-- blank line -->\n\n\n    \u003Cfigure class=\\\"video_container\\\">\n\n\n    \u003Ciframe src=\\\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/BW6TWwNZzIQ\\\"\n    frameborder=\\\"0\\\" allowfullscreen=\\\"true\\\"> \u003C/iframe>\n\n\n    \u003C/figure>\n\n\n    \u003C!-- blank line -->\\n\"\n  category: devsecops\n  tags:\n    - DevOps\n    - workflow\n    - production\nconfig:\n  slug: dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration\n  featured: false\n  template: BlogPost\n",{"title":5,"description":17,"ogTitle":5,"ogDescription":17,"noIndex":14,"ogImage":19,"ogUrl":32,"ogSiteName":33,"ogType":34,"canonicalUrls":32},"https://about.gitlab.com/blog/dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration","https://about.gitlab.com","article","en-us/blog/dont-confuse-these-twelve-shortcuts-with-iteration",[37,23,24],"devops",[22,23,24],"5q6c5ghAxmk9NYpQ1c3ox72rpKc9ILbv75Yp7pjzDrA",{"data":41},{"logo":42,"freeTrial":47,"sales":52,"login":57,"items":62,"search":371,"minimal":402,"duo":421,"switchNav":430,"pricingDeployment":441},{"config":43},{"href":44,"dataGaName":45,"dataGaLocation":46},"/","gitlab logo","header",{"text":48,"config":49},"Get free trial",{"href":50,"dataGaName":51,"dataGaLocation":46},"https://gitlab.com/-/trial_registrations/new?glm_source=about.gitlab.com&glm_content=default-saas-trial/","free trial",{"text":53,"config":54},"Talk to sales",{"href":55,"dataGaName":56,"dataGaLocation":46},"/sales/","sales",{"text":58,"config":59},"Sign in",{"href":60,"dataGaName":61,"dataGaLocation":46},"https://gitlab.com/users/sign_in/","sign in",[63,90,185,190,292,352],{"text":64,"config":65,"cards":67},"Platform",{"dataNavLevelOne":66},"platform",[68,74,82],{"title":64,"description":69,"link":70},"The intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps",{"text":71,"config":72},"Explore our Platform",{"href":73,"dataGaName":66,"dataGaLocation":46},"/platform/",{"title":75,"description":76,"link":77},"GitLab Duo Agent Platform","Agentic AI for the entire software lifecycle",{"text":78,"config":79},"Meet GitLab Duo",{"href":80,"dataGaName":81,"dataGaLocation":46},"/gitlab-duo-agent-platform/","gitlab duo agent platform",{"title":83,"description":84,"link":85},"Why GitLab","See the top reasons enterprises choose GitLab",{"text":86,"config":87},"Learn more",{"href":88,"dataGaName":89,"dataGaLocation":46},"/why-gitlab/","why gitlab",{"text":91,"left":28,"config":92,"link":94,"lists":98,"footer":167},"Product",{"dataNavLevelOne":93},"solutions",{"text":95,"config":96},"View all Solutions",{"href":97,"dataGaName":93,"dataGaLocation":46},"/solutions/",[99,123,146],{"title":100,"description":101,"link":102,"items":107},"Automation","CI/CD and automation to accelerate deployment",{"config":103},{"icon":104,"href":105,"dataGaName":106,"dataGaLocation":46},"AutomatedCodeAlt","/solutions/delivery-automation/","automated software delivery",[108,112,115,119],{"text":109,"config":110},"CI/CD",{"href":111,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":109},"/solutions/continuous-integration/",{"text":75,"config":113},{"href":80,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":114},"gitlab duo agent platform - product menu",{"text":116,"config":117},"Source Code Management",{"href":118,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":116},"/solutions/source-code-management/",{"text":120,"config":121},"Automated Software Delivery",{"href":105,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":122},"Automated software delivery",{"title":124,"description":125,"link":126,"items":131},"Security","Deliver code faster without compromising security",{"config":127},{"href":128,"dataGaName":129,"dataGaLocation":46,"icon":130},"/solutions/application-security-testing/","security and compliance","ShieldCheckLight",[132,136,141],{"text":133,"config":134},"Application Security Testing",{"href":128,"dataGaName":135,"dataGaLocation":46},"Application security testing",{"text":137,"config":138},"Software Supply Chain Security",{"href":139,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":140},"/solutions/supply-chain/","Software supply chain security",{"text":142,"config":143},"Software Compliance",{"href":144,"dataGaName":145,"dataGaLocation":46},"/solutions/software-compliance/","software compliance",{"title":147,"link":148,"items":153},"Measurement",{"config":149},{"icon":150,"href":151,"dataGaName":152,"dataGaLocation":46},"DigitalTransformation","/solutions/visibility-measurement/","visibility and measurement",[154,158,162],{"text":155,"config":156},"Visibility & Measurement",{"href":151,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":157},"Visibility and Measurement",{"text":159,"config":160},"Value Stream Management",{"href":161,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":159},"/solutions/value-stream-management/",{"text":163,"config":164},"Analytics & Insights",{"href":165,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":166},"/solutions/analytics-and-insights/","Analytics and insights",{"title":168,"items":169},"GitLab for",[170,175,180],{"text":171,"config":172},"Enterprise",{"href":173,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":174},"/enterprise/","enterprise",{"text":176,"config":177},"Small Business",{"href":178,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":179},"/small-business/","small business",{"text":181,"config":182},"Public Sector",{"href":183,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":184},"/solutions/public-sector/","public sector",{"text":186,"config":187},"Pricing",{"href":188,"dataGaName":189,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataNavLevelOne":189},"/pricing/","pricing",{"text":191,"config":192,"link":194,"lists":198,"feature":283},"Resources",{"dataNavLevelOne":193},"resources",{"text":195,"config":196},"View all resources",{"href":197,"dataGaName":193,"dataGaLocation":46},"/resources/",[199,232,255],{"title":200,"items":201},"Getting started",[202,207,212,217,222,227],{"text":203,"config":204},"Install",{"href":205,"dataGaName":206,"dataGaLocation":46},"/install/","install",{"text":208,"config":209},"Quick start guides",{"href":210,"dataGaName":211,"dataGaLocation":46},"/get-started/","quick setup checklists",{"text":213,"config":214},"Learn",{"href":215,"dataGaLocation":46,"dataGaName":216},"https://university.gitlab.com/","learn",{"text":218,"config":219},"Product documentation",{"href":220,"dataGaName":221,"dataGaLocation":46},"https://docs.gitlab.com/","product documentation",{"text":223,"config":224},"Best practice videos",{"href":225,"dataGaName":226,"dataGaLocation":46},"/getting-started-videos/","best practice videos",{"text":228,"config":229},"Integrations",{"href":230,"dataGaName":231,"dataGaLocation":46},"/integrations/","integrations",{"title":233,"items":234},"Discover",[235,240,245,250],{"text":236,"config":237},"Customer success stories",{"href":238,"dataGaName":239,"dataGaLocation":46},"/customers/","customer success stories",{"text":241,"config":242},"Blog",{"href":243,"dataGaName":244,"dataGaLocation":46},"/blog/","blog",{"text":246,"config":247},"The Source",{"href":248,"dataGaName":249,"dataGaLocation":46},"/the-source/","the source",{"text":251,"config":252},"Remote",{"href":253,"dataGaName":254,"dataGaLocation":46},"https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/company/culture/all-remote/","remote",{"title":256,"items":257},"Connect",[258,263,268,273,278],{"text":259,"config":260},"GitLab Services",{"href":261,"dataGaName":262,"dataGaLocation":46},"/services/","services",{"text":264,"config":265},"Community",{"href":266,"dataGaName":267,"dataGaLocation":46},"/community/","community",{"text":269,"config":270},"Forum",{"href":271,"dataGaName":272,"dataGaLocation":46},"https://forum.gitlab.com/","forum",{"text":274,"config":275},"Events",{"href":276,"dataGaName":277,"dataGaLocation":46},"/events/","events",{"text":279,"config":280},"Partners",{"href":281,"dataGaName":282,"dataGaLocation":46},"/partners/","partners",{"textColor":284,"title":285,"text":286,"link":287},"#000","What’s new in GitLab","Stay updated with our latest features and improvements.",{"text":288,"config":289},"Read the latest",{"href":290,"dataGaName":291,"dataGaLocation":46},"/releases/whats-new/","whats new",{"text":293,"config":294,"lists":296},"Company",{"dataNavLevelOne":295},"company",[297],{"items":298},[299,304,310,312,317,322,327,332,337,342,347],{"text":300,"config":301},"About",{"href":302,"dataGaName":303,"dataGaLocation":46},"/company/","about",{"text":305,"config":306,"footerGa":309},"Jobs",{"href":307,"dataGaName":308,"dataGaLocation":46},"/jobs/","jobs",{"dataGaName":308},{"text":274,"config":311},{"href":276,"dataGaName":277,"dataGaLocation":46},{"text":313,"config":314},"Leadership",{"href":315,"dataGaName":316,"dataGaLocation":46},"/company/team/e-group/","leadership",{"text":318,"config":319},"Team",{"href":320,"dataGaName":321,"dataGaLocation":46},"/company/team/","team",{"text":323,"config":324},"Handbook",{"href":325,"dataGaName":326,"dataGaLocation":46},"https://handbook.gitlab.com/","handbook",{"text":328,"config":329},"Investor relations",{"href":330,"dataGaName":331,"dataGaLocation":46},"https://ir.gitlab.com/","investor relations",{"text":333,"config":334},"Trust Center",{"href":335,"dataGaName":336,"dataGaLocation":46},"/security/","trust center",{"text":338,"config":339},"AI Transparency Center",{"href":340,"dataGaName":341,"dataGaLocation":46},"/ai-transparency-center/","ai transparency center",{"text":343,"config":344},"Newsletter",{"href":345,"dataGaName":346,"dataGaLocation":46},"/company/contact/#contact-forms","newsletter",{"text":348,"config":349},"Press",{"href":350,"dataGaName":351,"dataGaLocation":46},"/press/","press",{"text":353,"config":354,"lists":355},"Contact us",{"dataNavLevelOne":295},[356],{"items":357},[358,361,366],{"text":53,"config":359},{"href":55,"dataGaName":360,"dataGaLocation":46},"talk to sales",{"text":362,"config":363},"Support portal",{"href":364,"dataGaName":365,"dataGaLocation":46},"https://support.gitlab.com","support portal",{"text":367,"config":368},"Customer portal",{"href":369,"dataGaName":370,"dataGaLocation":46},"https://customers.gitlab.com/customers/sign_in/","customer portal",{"close":372,"login":373,"suggestions":380},"Close",{"text":374,"link":375},"To search repositories and projects, login to",{"text":376,"config":377},"gitlab.com",{"href":60,"dataGaName":378,"dataGaLocation":379},"search login","search",{"text":381,"default":382},"Suggestions",[383,385,389,391,395,399],{"text":75,"config":384},{"href":80,"dataGaName":75,"dataGaLocation":379},{"text":386,"config":387},"Code Suggestions (AI)",{"href":388,"dataGaName":386,"dataGaLocation":379},"/solutions/code-suggestions/",{"text":109,"config":390},{"href":111,"dataGaName":109,"dataGaLocation":379},{"text":392,"config":393},"GitLab on AWS",{"href":394,"dataGaName":392,"dataGaLocation":379},"/partners/technology-partners/aws/",{"text":396,"config":397},"GitLab on Google Cloud",{"href":398,"dataGaName":396,"dataGaLocation":379},"/partners/technology-partners/google-cloud-platform/",{"text":400,"config":401},"Why GitLab?",{"href":88,"dataGaName":400,"dataGaLocation":379},{"freeTrial":403,"mobileIcon":408,"desktopIcon":413,"secondaryButton":416},{"text":404,"config":405},"Start free trial",{"href":406,"dataGaName":51,"dataGaLocation":407},"https://gitlab.com/-/trials/new/","nav",{"altText":409,"config":410},"Gitlab Icon",{"src":411,"dataGaName":412,"dataGaLocation":407},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1758203874/jypbw1jx72aexsoohd7x.svg","gitlab icon",{"altText":409,"config":414},{"src":415,"dataGaName":412,"dataGaLocation":407},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1758203875/gs4c8p8opsgvflgkswz9.svg",{"text":417,"config":418},"Get Started",{"href":419,"dataGaName":420,"dataGaLocation":407},"https://gitlab.com/-/trial_registrations/new?glm_source=about.gitlab.com/get-started/","get started",{"freeTrial":422,"mobileIcon":426,"desktopIcon":428},{"text":423,"config":424},"Learn more about GitLab Duo",{"href":80,"dataGaName":425,"dataGaLocation":407},"gitlab duo",{"altText":409,"config":427},{"src":411,"dataGaName":412,"dataGaLocation":407},{"altText":409,"config":429},{"src":415,"dataGaName":412,"dataGaLocation":407},{"button":431,"mobileIcon":436,"desktopIcon":438},{"text":432,"config":433},"/switch",{"href":434,"dataGaName":435,"dataGaLocation":407},"#contact","switch",{"altText":409,"config":437},{"src":411,"dataGaName":412,"dataGaLocation":407},{"altText":409,"config":439},{"src":440,"dataGaName":412,"dataGaLocation":407},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1773335277/ohhpiuoxoldryzrnhfrh.png",{"freeTrial":442,"mobileIcon":447,"desktopIcon":449},{"text":443,"config":444},"Back to pricing",{"href":188,"dataGaName":445,"dataGaLocation":407,"icon":446},"back to pricing","GoBack",{"altText":409,"config":448},{"src":411,"dataGaName":412,"dataGaLocation":407},{"altText":409,"config":450},{"src":415,"dataGaName":412,"dataGaLocation":407},{"title":452,"button":453,"config":458},"See how agentic AI transforms software delivery",{"text":454,"config":455},"Watch GitLab Transcend now",{"href":456,"dataGaName":457,"dataGaLocation":46},"/events/transcend/virtual/","transcend event",{"layout":459,"icon":460,"disabled":28},"release","AiStar",{"data":462},{"text":463,"source":464,"edit":470,"contribute":475,"config":480,"items":485,"minimal":689},"Git is a trademark of Software Freedom Conservancy and our use of 'GitLab' is under license",{"text":465,"config":466},"View page source",{"href":467,"dataGaName":468,"dataGaLocation":469},"https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/marketing/digital-experience/about-gitlab-com/","page source","footer",{"text":471,"config":472},"Edit this page",{"href":473,"dataGaName":474,"dataGaLocation":469},"https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/marketing/digital-experience/about-gitlab-com/-/blob/main/content/","web ide",{"text":476,"config":477},"Please contribute",{"href":478,"dataGaName":479,"dataGaLocation":469},"https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/marketing/digital-experience/about-gitlab-com/-/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md/","please contribute",{"twitter":481,"facebook":482,"youtube":483,"linkedin":484},"https://twitter.com/gitlab","https://www.facebook.com/gitlab","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnMGQ8QHMAnVIsI3xJrihhg","https://www.linkedin.com/company/gitlab-com",[486,533,584,628,655],{"title":186,"links":487,"subMenu":502},[488,492,497],{"text":489,"config":490},"View plans",{"href":188,"dataGaName":491,"dataGaLocation":469},"view plans",{"text":493,"config":494},"Why Premium?",{"href":495,"dataGaName":496,"dataGaLocation":469},"/pricing/premium/","why premium",{"text":498,"config":499},"Why Ultimate?",{"href":500,"dataGaName":501,"dataGaLocation":469},"/pricing/ultimate/","why ultimate",[503],{"title":504,"links":505},"Contact Us",[506,509,511,513,518,523,528],{"text":507,"config":508},"Contact sales",{"href":55,"dataGaName":56,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":362,"config":510},{"href":364,"dataGaName":365,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":367,"config":512},{"href":369,"dataGaName":370,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":514,"config":515},"Status",{"href":516,"dataGaName":517,"dataGaLocation":469},"https://status.gitlab.com/","status",{"text":519,"config":520},"Terms of use",{"href":521,"dataGaName":522,"dataGaLocation":469},"/terms/","terms of use",{"text":524,"config":525},"Privacy statement",{"href":526,"dataGaName":527,"dataGaLocation":469},"/privacy/","privacy statement",{"text":529,"config":530},"Cookie preferences",{"dataGaName":531,"dataGaLocation":469,"id":532,"isOneTrustButton":28},"cookie preferences","ot-sdk-btn",{"title":91,"links":534,"subMenu":543},[535,539],{"text":536,"config":537},"DevSecOps platform",{"href":73,"dataGaName":538,"dataGaLocation":469},"devsecops platform",{"text":540,"config":541},"AI-Assisted Development",{"href":80,"dataGaName":542,"dataGaLocation":469},"ai-assisted development",[544],{"title":545,"links":546},"Topics",[547,552,557,560,565,569,574,579],{"text":548,"config":549},"CICD",{"href":550,"dataGaName":551,"dataGaLocation":469},"/topics/ci-cd/","cicd",{"text":553,"config":554},"GitOps",{"href":555,"dataGaName":556,"dataGaLocation":469},"/topics/gitops/","gitops",{"text":22,"config":558},{"href":559,"dataGaName":37,"dataGaLocation":469},"/topics/devops/",{"text":561,"config":562},"Version Control",{"href":563,"dataGaName":564,"dataGaLocation":469},"/topics/version-control/","version control",{"text":566,"config":567},"DevSecOps",{"href":568,"dataGaName":11,"dataGaLocation":469},"/topics/devsecops/",{"text":570,"config":571},"Cloud Native",{"href":572,"dataGaName":573,"dataGaLocation":469},"/topics/cloud-native/","cloud native",{"text":575,"config":576},"AI for Coding",{"href":577,"dataGaName":578,"dataGaLocation":469},"/topics/devops/ai-for-coding/","ai for coding",{"text":580,"config":581},"Agentic AI",{"href":582,"dataGaName":583,"dataGaLocation":469},"/topics/agentic-ai/","agentic ai",{"title":585,"links":586},"Solutions",[587,589,591,596,600,603,607,610,612,615,618,623],{"text":133,"config":588},{"href":128,"dataGaName":133,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":122,"config":590},{"href":105,"dataGaName":106,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":592,"config":593},"Agile development",{"href":594,"dataGaName":595,"dataGaLocation":469},"/solutions/agile-delivery/","agile delivery",{"text":597,"config":598},"SCM",{"href":118,"dataGaName":599,"dataGaLocation":469},"source code management",{"text":548,"config":601},{"href":111,"dataGaName":602,"dataGaLocation":469},"continuous integration & delivery",{"text":604,"config":605},"Value stream management",{"href":161,"dataGaName":606,"dataGaLocation":469},"value stream management",{"text":553,"config":608},{"href":609,"dataGaName":556,"dataGaLocation":469},"/solutions/gitops/",{"text":171,"config":611},{"href":173,"dataGaName":174,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":613,"config":614},"Small business",{"href":178,"dataGaName":179,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":616,"config":617},"Public sector",{"href":183,"dataGaName":184,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":619,"config":620},"Education",{"href":621,"dataGaName":622,"dataGaLocation":469},"/solutions/education/","education",{"text":624,"config":625},"Financial services",{"href":626,"dataGaName":627,"dataGaLocation":469},"/solutions/finance/","financial services",{"title":191,"links":629},[630,632,634,636,639,641,643,645,647,649,651,653],{"text":203,"config":631},{"href":205,"dataGaName":206,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":208,"config":633},{"href":210,"dataGaName":211,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":213,"config":635},{"href":215,"dataGaName":216,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":218,"config":637},{"href":220,"dataGaName":638,"dataGaLocation":469},"docs",{"text":241,"config":640},{"href":243,"dataGaName":244,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":236,"config":642},{"href":238,"dataGaName":239,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":251,"config":644},{"href":253,"dataGaName":254,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":259,"config":646},{"href":261,"dataGaName":262,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":264,"config":648},{"href":266,"dataGaName":267,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":269,"config":650},{"href":271,"dataGaName":272,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":274,"config":652},{"href":276,"dataGaName":277,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":279,"config":654},{"href":281,"dataGaName":282,"dataGaLocation":469},{"title":293,"links":656},[657,659,661,663,665,667,669,673,678,680,682,684],{"text":300,"config":658},{"href":302,"dataGaName":295,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":305,"config":660},{"href":307,"dataGaName":308,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":313,"config":662},{"href":315,"dataGaName":316,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":318,"config":664},{"href":320,"dataGaName":321,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":323,"config":666},{"href":325,"dataGaName":326,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":328,"config":668},{"href":330,"dataGaName":331,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":670,"config":671},"Sustainability",{"href":672,"dataGaName":670,"dataGaLocation":469},"/sustainability/",{"text":674,"config":675},"Diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIB)",{"href":676,"dataGaName":677,"dataGaLocation":469},"/diversity-inclusion-belonging/","Diversity, inclusion and belonging",{"text":333,"config":679},{"href":335,"dataGaName":336,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":343,"config":681},{"href":345,"dataGaName":346,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":348,"config":683},{"href":350,"dataGaName":351,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":685,"config":686},"Modern Slavery Transparency Statement",{"href":687,"dataGaName":688,"dataGaLocation":469},"https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/legal/modern-slavery-act-transparency-statement/","modern slavery transparency statement",{"items":690},[691,694,697],{"text":692,"config":693},"Terms",{"href":521,"dataGaName":522,"dataGaLocation":469},{"text":695,"config":696},"Cookies",{"dataGaName":531,"dataGaLocation":469,"id":532,"isOneTrustButton":28},{"text":698,"config":699},"Privacy",{"href":526,"dataGaName":527,"dataGaLocation":469},[701],{"id":702,"title":9,"body":26,"config":703,"content":705,"description":26,"extension":25,"meta":713,"navigation":28,"path":714,"seo":715,"stem":716,"__hash__":717},"blogAuthors/en-us/blog/authors/sid-sijbrandij.yml",{"template":704},"BlogAuthor",{"role":706,"name":9,"bio":707,"config":708},"Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair of GitLab Inc.","Sid Sijbrandij (pronounced see-brandy) is the Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair of GitLab Inc., the most comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps platform. GitLab's single application helps organizations deliver software faster and more efficiently while strengthening their security and compliance.\n\nSid's career path has been anything but traditional. He spent four years building recreational submarines for U-Boat Worx and while at Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid he worked on the Legis project, which developed several innovative web applications to aid lawmaking. He first saw Ruby code in 2007 and loved it so much that he taught himself how to program. In 2012, as a Ruby programmer, he encountered GitLab and discovered his passion for open source. Soon after, Sid commercialized GitLab, and by 2015 he led the company through Y Combinator's Winter 2015 batch. Under his leadership, the company has grown with an estimated 30 million+ registered users from startups to global enterprises.\n\nSid studied at the University of Twente in the Netherlands where he received an M.S. in Management Science. Sid was named one of the greatest minds of the pandemic by Forbes for spreading the gospel of remote work.",{"headshot":709,"twitter":710,"linkedin":711,"ctfId":712},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1749665383/Blog/Author%20Headshots/sytses-headshot.png","https://twitter.com/sytses","https://www.linkedin.com/in/sijbrandij","sytses",{},"/en-us/blog/authors/sid-sijbrandij",{},"en-us/blog/authors/sid-sijbrandij","ZdVvFbtL6NKLtKZEjFCVOecdpvuPzX3wmEZBrC6pRWg",[719,732,747],{"content":720,"config":730},{"title":721,"description":722,"authors":723,"heroImage":725,"date":726,"body":727,"category":11,"tags":728},"Teaching software development the easy way using GitLab","Learn how University of Washington lecturer Stephen G. Dame uses GitLab for Education to manage student assignments, distribute course materials, and provide inline code feedback at scale.\n",[724],"Rod Burns","https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1749659537/Blog/Hero%20Images/display-article-image-0679-1800x945-fy26.png","2026-04-29","For instructors teaching software development, one of the biggest logistical challenges is assignment distribution and feedback at scale. How do you give large groups of students access to course materials, keep solution code private, and still deliver meaningful, contextual feedback without lots of administrative overhead?\n\nThe **[GitLab for Education program](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/education/)** provides qualifying institutions with free access to **GitLab Ultimate**, enabling instructors to build professional-grade workflows that mirror real-world software development environments. In this article, you'll learn how Stephen G. Dame, a lecturer in the Computing and Software Systems department at the University of Washington, Bothell, uses simple workflows in GitLab to manage everything from course materials to student feedback across multiple classes.\n\n## From aerospace to academia: Bringing GitLab to the classroom\n\nDame came to academia with years of experience as a chief software engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, where GitLab was used for aerospace projects. As an adjunct professor, he became an early advocate for GitLab within the university, joining the GitLab for Education program to access the full feature set needed to run structured, scalable course workflows.\n\n> **\"GitLab provides the greatest way to organize multiple classes, student assignments, lectures, and code samples through the use of Groups and Subgroups, which I found to be unique to GitLab compared to other repository platforms.\"**\n>\n> - Stephen G. Dame, University of Washington, Bothell\n\n## Set up groups: Build the right structure before writing a line of code\n\nThe foundation of an effective GitLab-based course is a well-planned group hierarchy. GitLab's **[Groups and Subgroups](https://docs.gitlab.com/tutorials/manage_user/#create-the-organization-parent-group-and-subgroups)** allow instructors to model the natural structure of a university department institution, course, and role with precise, inheritable permissions at every level.\n\nDame's structure places the university at the root (`UWTeaching`), with each course occupying its own subgroup (e.g. `css430`). Within each course sit repositories for `lecture-materials` and `code`, alongside dedicated Subgroups for `students` and `graders`. Instructor materials remain private, while student and grader subgroups are configured with controlled permissions so that assignment briefs and solutions are visible only to the right people.\n\n![Screenshot of GitLab group hierarchy — institution, course subgroup, and per-student subgroups](https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1777463673/dpxfnitv76pdmvcqtgag.png)\n\nPermissions cascade downward through the hierarchy via **Manage > Members**, allowing Dame to add students to a course's `students` subgroup with `Reporter` access and an expiration date tied to the end of the academic quarter. Students can clone and pull from assignment repositories but cannot push — keeping solution code firmly under instructor control.\n\nStudents are guided to set up SSH keys across all their working environments (local machines, cloud shells, virtual machines) so they can clone repositories and receive weekly updates via `git pull`. They copy relevant code into their own private repositories to manage their own version history.\n\n**Tip for large classes:** For larger cohorts, adding students by hand is impractical. GitLab's REST API lets you automate subgroup creation and membership from a list of usernames. Below is a sample Python script that handles this:\n\n```python\n    import gitlab\n    from datetime import datetime\n\n    # Connect to your GitLab instance\n    gl = gitlab.Gitlab('https://gitlab.com', private_token='YOUR_PRIVATE_TOKEN')\n\n    # Target parent group ID (e.g., the ID for \"css430 > students\")\n    parent_group_id = 12345678\n\n    # Set expiration: typically the beginning of the next month after quarter end\n    expiry_date = '2025-01-01'\n\n    # List of collected student usernames\n    student_list = ['alice_css430', 'bob_css430', 'carol_css430', 'dave_css430', 'eve_css430']\n\n    for username in student_list:\n        try:\n            # 1. Create a personal subgroup for the student\n            subgroup = gl.groups.create({\n                'name': username,\n                'path': username,\n                'parent_id': parent_group_id,\n                'visibility': 'private'\n            })\n\n            # 2. Add student to the new subgroup with Expiration\n            user = gl.users.list(username=username)[0]\n            subgroup.members.create({\n                'user_id': user.id,\n                'access_level': gitlab.const.REPORTER_ACCESS,\n                'expires_at': expiry_date\n            })\n            print(f\"Success: Subgroup created and student added for {username}\")\n        except Exception as e:\n            print(f\"Error processing {username}: {e}\")\n```\nThere is also an [open source project that automates class management](https://gitlab.com/edu-docs/class-management-automation) published by GitLab that provides additional tooling for this workflow.\n## Give feedback where the work actually lives\n\nOnce the structure is in place, the feedback workflow is where GitLab's value becomes most apparent to students. Dame asks students to submit assignments by opening a **[merge request](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/project/merge_requests/)** in their repository. This gives instructors an immediate, clean diff of everything the student has written.\n![A GitLab merge request showing inline code comment function for an instructor](https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1777467468/icclzyglbkwlvfysggbi.png)\nInstructors can click any line of code and leave an **inline comment** — not just flagging what is wrong, but explaining why, and pointing to what to look at next. Students receive this feedback in direct context with their code, which is far more actionable than a comment at the bottom of a submitted document.\n\n## Join GitLab for Education\n\nSetting up your first GitLab assignment takes some initial effort, but once the structure is in place it largely runs itself. The real payoff goes beyond organization: Students graduate having worked daily in an environment that mirrors professional software development, building habits around [version control](https://about.gitlab.com/topics/version-control/) and [code review](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/code_review/) rather than learning them as abstract concepts.\n\nIf you are just getting started, keep it simple. Begin with a single course group, one assignment template, and a basic pipeline. The structure will grow naturally alongside your confidence with the platform.\n\nMake sure to **[sign up for GitLab for Education](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/education/join/)** so that you and your students can access all top-tier features, including unlimited reviewers on merge requests, additional compute minutes, and expanded storage.\n\n> [Apply to the GitLab for Education program today](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/education/join/).",[622,729],"open source",{"featured":14,"template":15,"slug":731},"teaching-software-development-the-easy-way-using-gitlab",{"content":733,"config":745},{"description":734,"authors":735,"heroImage":737,"date":738,"title":739,"body":740,"category":11,"tags":741},"AI-generated code is 34% of development work. Discover how to balance productivity gains with quality, reliability, and security.",[736],"Manav Khurana","https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1767982271/e9ogyosmuummq7j65zqg.png","2026-01-08","AI is reshaping DevSecOps: Attend GitLab Transcend to see what’s next","AI promises a step change in innovation velocity, but most software teams are hitting a wall. According to our latest [Global DevSecOps Report](https://about.gitlab.com/developer-survey/), AI-generated code now accounts for 34% of all development work. Yet 70% of DevSecOps professionals report that AI is making compliance management more difficult, and 76% say agentic AI will create unprecedented security challenges.\n\nThis is the AI paradox: AI accelerates coding, but software delivery slows down as teams struggle to test, secure, and deploy all that code.\n\n## Productivity gains meet workflow bottlenecks\nThe problem isn't AI itself. It's how software gets built today. The traditional DevSecOps lifecycle contains hundreds of small tasks that developers must navigate manually: updating tickets, running tests, requesting reviews, waiting for approvals, fixing merge conflicts, addressing security findings. These tasks drain an average of seven hours per week from every team member, according to our research.\n\nDevelopment teams are producing code faster than ever, but that code still crawls through fragmented toolchains, manual handoffs, and disconnected processes. In fact, 60% of DevSecOps teams use more than five tools for software development overall, and 49% use more than five AI tools. This fragmentation creates collaboration barriers, with 94% of DevSecOps professionals experiencing factors that limit collaboration in the software development lifecycle.\n\nThe answer isn't more tools. It's intelligent orchestration that brings software teams and their AI agents together across projects and release cycles, with enterprise-grade security, governance, and compliance built in.\n\n## Seeking deeper human-AI partnerships\nDevSecOps professionals don't want AI to take over — they want reliable partnerships. The vast majority (82%) say using agentic AI would increase their job satisfaction, and 43% envision an ideal future with a 50/50 split between human and AI contributions. They're ready to trust AI with 37% of their daily tasks without human review, particularly for documentation, test writing, and code reviews.\n\nWhat we heard resoundingly from DevSecOps professionals is that AI won't replace them; rather, it will fundamentally reshape their roles. 83% of DevSecOps professionals believe AI will significantly change their work within five years, and notably, 76% think this will create more engineering jobs, not fewer. As coding becomes easier with AI, engineers who can architect systems, ensure quality, and apply business context will be in high demand.\n\nCritically, 88% agree there are essential human qualities that AI will never fully replace, including creativity, innovation, collaboration, and strategic vision.\n\nSo how can organizations bridge the gap between AI’s promise and the reality of fragmented workflows?\n\n## Join us at GitLab Transcend: Explore how to drive real value with agentic AI\nOn February 10, 2026, GitLab will be hosting Transcend, where we'll reveal how intelligent orchestration transforms AI-powered software development. You'll get a first look at GitLab's upcoming product roadmap and learn how teams are solving real-world challenges by modernizing development workflows with AI.\n\nOrganizations winning in this new era balance AI adoption with security, compliance, and platform consolidation. AI offers genuine productivity gains when implemented thoughtfully — not by replacing human developers, but by freeing DevSecOps professionals to focus on strategic thinking and creative innovation.\n\n[Register for Transcend today](https://about.gitlab.com/events/transcend/virtual/) to secure your spot and discover how intelligent orchestration can help your software teams stay in flow.",[742,743,744],"AI/ML","DevOps platform","security",{"featured":28,"template":15,"slug":746},"ai-is-reshaping-devsecops-attend-gitlab-transcend-to-see-whats-next",{"content":748,"config":759},{"title":749,"description":750,"authors":751,"heroImage":753,"date":754,"body":755,"category":11,"tags":756},"Atlassian ending Data Center as GitLab maintains deployment choice","As Atlassian transitions Data Center customers to cloud-only, GitLab presents a menu of deployment choices that map to business needs.",[752],"Emilio Salvador","https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1750098354/Blog/Hero%20Images/Blog/Hero%20Images/blog-image-template-1800x945%20%281%29_5XrohmuWBNuqL89BxVUzWm_1750098354056.png","2025-10-07","Change is never easy, especially when it's not your choice. Atlassian's announcement that [all Data Center products will reach end-of-life by March 28, 2029](https://www.atlassian.com/blog/announcements/atlassian-ascend), means thousands of organizations must now reconsider their DevSecOps deployment and infrastructure. But you don't have to settle for deployment options that don't fit your needs. GitLab maintains your freedom to choose — whether you need self-managed for compliance, cloud for convenience, or hybrid for flexibility — all within a single AI-powered DevSecOps platform that respects your requirements.\n\nWhile other vendors force migrations to cloud-only architectures, GitLab remains committed to supporting the deployment choices that match your business needs. Whether you're managing sensitive government data, operating in air-gapped environments, or simply prefer the control of self-managed deployments, we understand that one size doesn't fit all.\n\n## The cloud isn't the answer for everyone\n\nFor the many companies that invested millions of dollars in Data Center deployments, including those that migrated to Data Center [after its Server products were discontinued](https://about.gitlab.com/blog/atlassian-server-ending-move-to-a-single-devsecops-platform/), this announcement represents more than a product sunset. It signals a fundamental shift away from customer-centric architecture choices, forcing enterprises into difficult positions: accept a deployment model that doesn't fit their needs, or find a vendor that respects their requirements.\n\nMany of the organizations requiring self-managed deployments represent some of the world's most important organizations: healthcare systems protecting patient data, financial institutions managing trillions in assets, government agencies safeguarding national security, and defense contractors operating in air-gapped environments.\n\nThese organizations don't choose self-managed deployments for convenience; they choose them for compliance, security, and sovereignty requirements that cloud-only architectures simply cannot meet. Organizations operating in closed environments with restricted or no internet access aren't exceptions — they represent a significant portion of enterprise customers across various industries.\n\n![GitLab vs. Atlassian comparison table](https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1759928476/ynl7wwmkh5xyqhszv46m.jpg)\n\n## The real cost of forced cloud migration goes beyond dollars\n\nWhile cloud-only vendors frame mandatory migrations as \"upgrades,\" organizations face substantial challenges beyond simple financial costs:\n\n* **Lost integration capabilities:** Years of custom integrations with legacy systems, carefully crafted workflows, and enterprise-specific automations become obsolete. Organizations with deep integrations to legacy systems often find cloud migration technically infeasible.\n\n* **Regulatory constraints:** For organizations in regulated industries, cloud migration isn't just complex — it's often not permitted. Data residency requirements, air-gapped environments, and strict regulatory frameworks don't bend to vendor preferences. The absence of single-tenant solutions in many cloud-only approaches creates insurmountable compliance barriers.\n\n* **Productivity impacts:** Cloud-only architectures often require juggling multiple products: separate tools for planning, code management, CI/CD, and documentation. Each tool means another context switch, another integration to maintain, another potential point of failure. GitLab research shows [30% of developers spend at least 50% of their job maintaining and/or integrating their DevSecOps toolchain](https://about.gitlab.com/developer-survey/). Fragmented architectures exacerbate this challenge rather than solving it.\n\n## GitLab offers choice, commitment, and consolidation\n\nEnterprise customers deserve a trustworthy technology partner. That's why we've committed to supporting a range of deployment options — whether you need on-premises for compliance, hybrid for flexibility, or cloud for convenience, the choice remains yours. That commitment continues with [GitLab Duo](https://about.gitlab.com/gitlab-duo-agent-platform/), our AI solution that supports developers at every stage of their workflow.\n\nBut we offer more than just deployment flexibility. While other vendors might force you to cobble together their products into a fragmented toolchain, GitLab provides everything in a **comprehensive AI-native DevSecOps platform**. Source code management, CI/CD, security scanning, Agile planning, and documentation are all managed within a single application and a single vendor relationship.\n\nThis isn't theoretical. When Airbus and [Iron Mountain](https://about.gitlab.com/customers/iron-mountain/) evaluated their existing fragmented toolchains, they consistently identified challenges: poor user experience, missing functionalities like built-in security scanning and review apps, and management complexity from plugin troubleshooting. **These aren't minor challenges; they're major blockers for modern software delivery.**\n\n## Your migration path: Simpler than you think\n\nWe've helped thousands of organizations migrate from other vendors, and we've built the tools and expertise to make your transition smooth:\n\n* **Automated migration tools:** Our [Bitbucket Server importer](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/import/bitbucket_server/) brings over repositories, pull requests, comments, and even Large File Storage (LFS) objects. For Jira, our [built-in importer](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/project/import/jira/) handles issues, descriptions, and labels, with professional services available for complex migrations.\n\n* **Proven at scale:** A 500 GiB repository with 13,000 pull requests, 10,000 branches, and 7,000 tags is likely to [take just 8 hours to migrate](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/import/bitbucket_server/) from Bitbucket to GitLab using parallel processing.\n\n* **Immediate ROI:** A [Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ study commissioned by GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/resources/study-forrester-tei-gitlab-ultimate/) found that investing in GitLab Ultimate confirms these benefits translate to real bottom-line impact, with a three-year 483% ROI, 5x time saved in security related activities, and 25% savings in software toolchain costs.\n\n## Start your journey to a unified DevSecOps platform\n\nForward-thinking organizations aren't waiting for vendor-mandated deadlines. They're evaluating alternatives now, while they have time to migrate thoughtfully to platforms that protect their investments and deliver on promises.\n\nOrganizations invest in self-managed deployments because they need control, compliance, and customization. When vendors deprecate these capabilities, they remove not just features but the fundamental ability to choose environments matching business requirements.\n\nModern DevSecOps platforms should offer complete functionality that respects deployment needs, consolidates toolchains, and accelerates software delivery, without forcing compromises on security or data sovereignty.\n\n[Talk to our sales team](https://about.gitlab.com/sales/) today about your migration options, or explore our [comprehensive migration resources](https://about.gitlab.com/move-to-gitlab-from-atlassian/) to see how thousands of organizations have already made the switch.\n\nYou also can [try GitLab Ultimate with GitLab Duo Enterprise](https://about.gitlab.com/free-trial/devsecops/) for free for 30 days to see what a unified DevSecOps platform can do for your organization.",[573,566,757,758],"product","features",{"featured":28,"template":15,"slug":760},"atlassian-ending-data-center-as-gitlab-maintains-deployment-choice",{"promotions":762},[763,777,788,799],{"id":764,"categories":765,"header":767,"text":768,"button":769,"image":774},"ai-modernization",[766],"ai-ml","Is AI achieving its promise at scale?","Quiz will take 5 minutes or less",{"text":770,"config":771},"Get your AI maturity score",{"href":772,"dataGaName":773,"dataGaLocation":244},"/assessments/ai-modernization-assessment/","modernization assessment",{"config":775},{"src":776},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1772138786/qix0m7kwnd8x2fh1zq49.png",{"id":778,"categories":779,"header":780,"text":768,"button":781,"image":785},"devops-modernization",[757,11],"Are you just managing tools or shipping innovation?",{"text":782,"config":783},"Get your DevOps maturity score",{"href":784,"dataGaName":773,"dataGaLocation":244},"/assessments/devops-modernization-assessment/",{"config":786},{"src":787},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1772138785/eg818fmakweyuznttgid.png",{"id":789,"categories":790,"header":791,"text":768,"button":792,"image":796},"security-modernization",[744],"Are you trading speed for security?",{"text":793,"config":794},"Get your security maturity score",{"href":795,"dataGaName":773,"dataGaLocation":244},"/assessments/security-modernization-assessment/",{"config":797},{"src":798},"https://res.cloudinary.com/about-gitlab-com/image/upload/v1772138786/p4pbqd9nnjejg5ds6mdk.png",{"id":800,"paths":801,"header":804,"text":805,"button":806,"image":811},"github-azure-migration",[802,803],"migration-from-azure-devops-to-gitlab","integrating-azure-devops-scm-and-gitlab","Is your team ready for GitHub's Azure move?","GitHub is already rebuilding around Azure. Find out what it means for you.",{"text":807,"config":808},"See how GitLab compares to GitHub",{"href":809,"dataGaName":810,"dataGaLocation":244},"/compare/gitlab-vs-github/github-azure-migration/","github azure migration",{"config":812},{"src":787},{"header":814,"blurb":815,"button":816,"secondaryButton":821},"Start building faster today","See what your team can do with the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps.\n",{"text":817,"config":818},"Get your free trial",{"href":819,"dataGaName":51,"dataGaLocation":820},"https://gitlab.com/-/trial_registrations/new?glm_content=default-saas-trial&glm_source=about.gitlab.com/","feature",{"text":507,"config":822},{"href":55,"dataGaName":56,"dataGaLocation":820},1777493569949]