# Managing Product Variants and Versions

- Show: [The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast)
- Published: 2021-08-17
- Length: 28m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions
- Listen: https://agileembeddedpodcast.com/episodes/managing-product-variants-and-versions-nKlsK__Q

## Summary

Jeff Gable and Luca discuss strategies for managing product variants and versions in embedded software, contrasting trunk-based development with feature flags against the Git-Flow branching model. They highlight the risks of technical and process debt, such as dead code in safety-critical systems and integration hell from long-running branches, using examples like medical prosthetics and consultancy libraries. The hosts advocate for starting with tight integration via trunk-based development and feature flags, only increasing separation into branches or libraries if necessary, to ensure continuous integration and traceability.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions#t=0) Introduction: Managing Product Variants and Versions
- [1:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions#t=73) Scenarios: Product Lines, Bespoke Modifications, and Consultancies
- [3:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions#t=205) The Danger of If-Defs and Technical Debt
- [6:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions#t=384) Trunk-Based Development vs. Git-Flow Branching Model
- [10:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions#t=606) Safety Critical Dead Code and Traceability
- [12:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions#t=760) Monorepo Strategies for Medical Device Product Lines
- [18:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions#t=1092) Library Dependencies and Integration Pain
- [23:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions#t=1404) Organizational Discipline and Automation
- [28:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions#t=1699) Conclusion: Start Tight, Separate Only If Needed

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Git-Flow (other)
- trunk-based development (other)
- feature flags (other)
- if-def (other)
- Google (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [250: Yolo Snarf (Repeat)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-04-08-250-yolo-snarf-repeat) (Embedded.fm)
- [Firmware for Hardware Engineers with Phillip Johnston](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-09-07-firmware-for-hardware-engineers-with-phillip-johnston) (The Amp Hour)
- [53: Being a Grownup Engineer (Repeat)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-09-28-53-being-a-grownup-engineer-repeat) (Embedded.fm)
- [16: Democracy Is the Worst Form of Government](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-08-28-16-democracy-is-the-worst-form-of-government) (Embedded.fm)
- [440: Condemned to Being Perfect](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-01-13-440-condemned-to-being-perfect) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-08-17-managing-product-variants-and-versions. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast.