Glossary
An automated path from change to deployment: build, test, ship, with no manual steps in between.
Continuous integration means every change is built and checked immediately. Continuous delivery means every checked state could be shipped at any time.
The real gain is not speed but reliability: when shipping is boring, it happens more often and in smaller steps, and small steps are easier to take back.
How you notice it
Frequently asked
Under ten minutes for the check that runs before merging. Above that, teams start batching changes and the benefit of small steps disappears. Long tests belong in a second stage that runs after merging.