How Our CEO Uses AI to Review Code PRs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Confident Engineering Leadership

Welcome to our brand new series where we pull back the curtain on how we use Storytell to build the Storytell magic you experience every day. First up: our CEO's brilliant approach to code review that's changing how leaders engage with engineering.

Picture this: it's 11 PM, your engineer just pushed a critical fix and needs a PR approval to get it to production, but the rest of your engineering team is fast asleep. As CEO, you want to help, but you're not a coding expert. Sound familiar?

This exact scenario used to leave our CEO, DROdio, in a tough spot. But now? He's turned into what he calls a "Vibe CEO engineering manager" using our Storytell Chrome Extension, and we're about to show you exactly how he does it.

The real challenge every leader faces

Here's the thing about modern startups: speed matters, but so does quality. Our engineering team lives by the motto "🚢 ship & 💦 drip, Bob Ross-style," but there's always that tension between moving fast and maintaining the code quality that keeps users trusting us.

The traditional best practice says an actual engineer should review another engineer's code. Makes perfect sense, right? But what happens when your engineer is working late or early, needing PR approval to get code to production, and no other engineers are online for review? You're stuck between wanting to help your team move fast and knowing you shouldn't just rubber-stamp code you can't properly evaluate.

Enter the "jagged intelligence" game changer

DROdio found his solution in "jagged intelligence" – the idea that AI can act like a staff engineer in some ways while being like a junior intern in others. The magic is knowing how to optimize for AI's strengths while managing its limitations.

And that's exactly where our Storytell Chrome Extension becomes the perfect thought partner.

The step-by-step process that actually works

Want to try this approach yourself? Here's DROdio's exact workflow that you can adapt for your own code review needs:

Step 1: Save Your Prompt to the Library

First, DROdio created a custom engineering review prompt and saved it to his Storytell prompt library. The beauty of this? You can copy any prompt, hit the "prompt library" button, and save it to yours too

Step 2: Open the Chrome Extension on GitHub

When a PR needs review, he opens our Chrome Extension directly on the GitHub PR page. No copying and pasting code snippets or switching between tabs – the extension captures everything contextually.

Step 3: Run the Analysis

He runs his saved prompt, and Storytell provides comprehensive feedback including:

• A clear shipping recommendation with color-coded urgency levels
• A summary explaining the "what" and "why" behind code changes
• Genuine kudos for the engineer (because recognition matters!)
• Constructive feedback with severity levels from "informational" to "blocker"

Step 4: Share the Insights

The AI-generated analysis can be easily pasted into GitHub's comment/approval dialogue box, giving the engineer thoughtful, actionable feedback that rivals what they'd get from another developer.

The exact prompt that makes this magic happen

Here's the prompt DROdio uses – feel free to copy it and make it your own, or try it directly on Storytell:

As an engineering leader, please conduct a thorough review of the provided GitHub pull request (PR) diff, focusing on code quality, functionality, and potential risks. Your analysis should include the following:
1. Overall Shipping Recommendation: Provide a clear “Shipping Recommendation:” using a colored circle emoji to indicate the readiness of the PR for shipping:
   - Green circle emoji: Indicates the PR is safe to ship with only minor or informational issues.
   - Yellow circle emoji: Indicates the PR can be shipped but has minor to major issues that should be considered.
   - Red circle emoji: Indicates blocking issues that must be resolved before shipping.
2. Code Change Summary: Summarize the changes included in the PR, explaining the purpose and functionality of the new code, and, if possible, provide your best guess as to why these changes were implemented.
3. Kudos & Constructive Feedback:
   - Kudos: Express appreciation for well-executed aspects of the code. Provide specific examples of excellent code craftsmanship. Conclude this section with a vivid metaphor that encapsulates the overall quality and impact of the positive contributions.
   - Constructive Feedback: Identify areas where the code could be improved. For each point, provide a score indicating the severity:
     - Blocker: Urgent issue that must be addressed immediately.
     - Major: Non-blocking issue but highly recommended to fix before shipping.
     - Minor: Small issue that will not cause user-facing problems but could be improved.
     - Informational: Recommendation around a matter of style or preference.
Ensure your review is detailed, actionable, and provides clear guidance for the PR author. The goal is to ensure the code is robust, maintainable, and aligns with project standards.
  

Why this approach actually works

This isn't just about getting faster approvals – it's about capturing AI's "jagged intelligence" to provide genuine value. The analysis includes high-level strategic thinking about whether code is ready to ship, combined with detailed technical observations that help engineers improve their craft.

The result? Engineers get unblocked faster while receiving meaningful feedback that actually helps them grow. And DROdio gets the confidence to approve PRs knowing he's provided real value, not just a rubber stamp.

Your turn to try this

Whether you're a technical founder wearing multiple hats or a non-technical leader wanting to support your engineering team better, this approach shows how AI can help you engage more meaningfully with technical work.

The key insight? You don't need to become a coding expert – you need to become an expert at using AI to bridge knowledge gaps intelligently.

Here's what you need to get started:

1. Our Storytell Chrome Extension – install it from the Chrome Web Store
2. A GitHub account with PR access
3. The prompt above (or create your own variation)
4. Willingness to experiment and refine your approach

The beauty of this system is its adaptability. While DROdio uses it for CEO-level code review, the same principle works for peer reviews, security audits, or even onboarding new team members to your codebase. Read more about this process in DROdio’s personal blog.

What's coming next in this series

This is just the beginning of how we use Storytell to build Storytell. Stay tuned for our upcoming blogs where we’ll share even more ways Storytell powers our workflows and see how it can amplify yours too.

Curious to see how Storytell can help you work smarter? Explore our platform and see how it fits into your team’s creative process.