> In both codebases I’ve merged PRs without any tests and frequently see others do the same. And the world didn’t end and no one shed any tears and the products

> In both codebases I’ve merged PRs without any tests and frequently see others do the same. And the world didn’t end and no one shed any tears and the products are still some of best I’ve ever used and the codebases contain some of the most elegant code I’ve ever read. Yeah if someone actually has 10 years of experience in the product and can tell that the code is obviously correct and tests would be annoying for anyone to write, and the contributor will go radio silent if you ask for the tests, and that it makes the product better and it is unlikely to bite you in the ass, then you can ship it. It is vital to have that well-built mental model of what in the codebase is likely to bite you in the ass though. This doesn't necessarily lead to a slippery slope where every PR is full of missing or shitty tests and slide right into game development. The slippery slope argument is a logical fallacy. Similarly, the perfect process isn't one where every PR is cut up until 100 line or less PRs, with unit tests and two developers sit down and do code review to nitpick every other line and then both of them flip the switches like they're sitting in a minuteman silos starting WWIII.