A practical guide to building a fast CI pipeline for Trunk-Based Development (TBD) that completes in under 10 minutes. The strategy splits testing into two phases: pre-merge gatekeeping (fast unit tests and contract testing with tools like Pact instead of heavy integration tests) and post-merge async validation (ephemeral integration testing with Docker/Testcontainers). It also covers handling flaky tests with a zero-tolerance quarantine policy and extends testing into production via canary deployments with feature flags and APM monitoring (Datadog, New Relic) for automatic rollback.
Table of contents
Why the Traditional Testing Pyramid Fails in TBDThe Core Strategy: The 10-Minute RulePhase 1: Pre-Merge Validation (The Gatekeeper)Phase 2: Post-Merge Validation (The Safety Net)Continuous Verification: Testing in ProductionConclusion: Speed Breeds Quality545 Impressions