For years, we convinced ourselves that Dev-Test-Staging-Production pipelines kept us safe. If we just had one more layer of validation and one more environment to test in, we’d catch the problems before they hit production.
Except… that was a lie.
Staging environments aren’t production. They’re expensive illusions of safety. The data is different. The scale is different. The behaviours are different. And when failures inevitably show up in production anyway, teams scramble, wondering why their extensive pre-release testing didn’t catch the issue.
Modern software delivery isn’t about pretending production doesn’t exist; it’s about embracing it. Audience-based deployment (sometimes called ring-based deployment) is the smarter approach: releasing features to small, targeted user groups first, monitoring real-world behaviour, and expanding based on what the data tells us.
You don’t need more pre-production gates. You need faster feedback in production.
Are you still clinging to staging environments? What’s stopping you from moving forward?
If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.
We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.
Teleplan
Illumina
Xceptor - Process and Data Automation
CR2
Emerson Process Management
Slicedbread
Epic Games
Higher Education Statistics Agency
Alignment Healthcare
SuperControl
Capita Secure Information Solutions Ltd
Jack Links
Healthgrades
NIT A/S
Flowmaster (a Mentor Graphics Company)
Workday
Philips
Boeing
Royal Air Force
Department of Work and Pensions (UK)
Washington Department of Transport
Ghana Police Service
New Hampshire Supreme Court
Nottingham County Council
Illumina
Teleplan
Sage
Boeing
Slicedbread
Flowmaster (a Mentor Graphics Company)