BetterUp improves code quality by 31% using DX
6x + return on investment in DX
BetterUp, a leader in mental wellness and coaching services, knows that scaling their services means finding the right balance between moving fast and delivering high-quality code. As Leslie Brown, Senior Engineer and DevEx Lead at BetterUp, explains, “In a fast-paced environment like ours, investing in developer productivity makes all the difference in how we innovate and deliver quality at scale.”
Before implementing DX, BetterUp’s approach to improving developer productivity was fragmented and lacked focus. “Developer productivity was everyone’s responsibility. Teams solved problems alongside their feature work, but as we grew, it became impossible to find signal and stay aligned,” recalls Brown. Pull request cycle times, knowledge gaps, and inconsistent builds were slowing teams down but nobody could pinpoint or address the root causes.
Leadership needed an approach that could centralize and prioritize their developer productivity efforts. “We needed something that would give us clarity on where the real friction points were and guide us in addressing them effectively,” says Brown.
DX provided the solution. With data that clearly identified issues and their root causes, BetterUp could take steps to improve. They introduced structured code review guidelines and implemented regular cross-team syncs to foster better communication. These key changes contributed to a 30% improvement in code quality over one year.
“DX is now embedded in BetterUp’s DevEx function,” says Brown. “It’s transformed how we prioritize improvements and given us the clarity and focus to tackle the right issues and drive measurable impact at every level of the organization.”
Looking ahead, BetterUp plans to deepen its use of DX by leveraging tools like Onboarding to accelerate new hire productivity and Studies to capture targeted developer feedback for specific initiatives. “DX has transformed how we approach developer productivity. It’s now a central part of our strategy across the entire organization,” concludes Brown.
