Loving attention beats LGTM culture. "Looks good to me" means your work was skimmed. Loving attention means someone catches the typo and pushes back on lazy phrasing.
Podcast: 35: Brie Wolfson - Loving Attention & Ease in Craft
Most feedback is drive-by.
"LGTM" (Looks Good To Me) has become the default response in many workplaces. It sounds positive. It moves things forward. But it means your work was skimmed, not engaged with.
LGTM culture produces mediocrity at scale. Everything ships, but nothing sings.
Brie Wolfson contrasts this with "loving attention." Someone who gives loving attention catches the typo. They push back on lazy phrasing. They question the logic that seemed fine at first glance. They make your work better because they care enough to really look.
It requires friction. But that friction is a form of love. It says, "I am invested in this being great."