How to give and receive technical feedback: a guide for engineering teams

Giving and receiving technical feedback effectively

Be specific and objective

Describe the behavior or artifact, not the person. For example: “The function takes 32ms on average for 1000 samples, which is higher than our 5% budget,” rather than “You’re slow.”

Cite concrete measurements, data, or reproduceable observations. Include before/after snippets or benchmarks when possible.

Frame feedback around impact

Explain why it matters: correctness, maintainability, performance, security, or onboarding.

Tie suggestions to business or product goals: faster iteration, fewer bugs in production, clearer API surfaces.

Separate personal from technical

Acknowledge intent: “I know you aimed for a robust solution, and here’s how we can improve it.”

Focus on the artifact, not the coder.…