Lunch & Learn Recap: Getting Comfortable with Git

Presented by: Keean Ferreira

Cover Photo: Git

Whether you're a developer, business analyst, consultant, or technical writer — understanding Git can seriously level up how you collaborate and manage projects. In our latest Lunch & Learn, we broke down the essentials of Git: what it is, why it matters, and how anyone (yes, anyone!) can start using it.

What Is Git, Really?

Git is a free, open-source version control system created by Linus Torvalds in 2005. Think of it as a time machine for your projects — it tracks every change, shows who made what edits, and makes it easy for teams to work on the same project without overwriting each other’s work.

Why Learn Git? Benefits for Developers and Beyond

Git was primarily built for developers to manage code, but its benefits stretch beyond programming. Here’s how Git supports different roles across your team:

For Developers:

• Manage code versions: Track every change in your codebase and collaborate without overwriting work

• Parallel development: Use branches to develop features or fix bugs safely before merging

• Code review & quality: Suggest, review, and approve changes through pull requests for better quality control

• Accountability & traceability: See who changed what and when, making debugging and audits easier

For Non-Developers:

• Collaborate on documents: Track edits in project plans, specs, or reports with a clear history and ability to revert mistakes

• Coordinate teams: Stay aligned when multiple people update files or content simultaneously, avoiding confusion or version conflicts

• Review changes easily: Compare versions side-by-side, so editors, analysts, and managers can see exactly what was updated

• Experiment safely: Try new ideas or drafts in branches without disrupting the main work, then merge once finalized

Git’s version control and collaboration features help everyone—from engineers to project managers—work more transparently and efficiently.

Key Git Terms — Simplified

• Repository (Repo): The folder that holds your project and its change history

• Commit: A snapshot of your project at a specific moment

• Branch: A workspace to make changes without disrupting the main project

• Merge: Combining changes from one branch into another

• Remote Repo: A shared version of your project (e.g., on GitHub or GitLab)

A Quick Git Workflow

Here’s how a typical Git process flows:

• Clone – Copy the project to your machine.

• Branch – Create a workspace for your changes.

• Commit – Save your updates with a short message.

• Push – Upload changes to the remote repo.

• Pull Request – Suggest your changes be merged.

• Merge – Combine your updates into the main version.

This structure keeps teamwork smooth and structured — even across time zones.

How We Use Git at Work

At Lark & Stern, Git is at the heart of how our developers collaborate and stay organized. It helps us:

• Track all project updates.

• Enable parallel development.

• Ensure accountability.

• Keep our workflows clean and efficient.

No more “who changed this?” — Git always has the answer.

Getting Started with Git

Where you begin depends on your style:

• 💻 Command Line: For hands-on folks (start with git clone, git commit, git push).

• 🖱️ Graphical Tools: GitHub Desktop, Sourcetree, etc., for a more visual experience.

• 🧩 Inside Your IDE: Tools like VS Code or IntelliJ come with Git baked in.

Pick your path — they all get you there.

Final Takeaways

✅ Git isn’t just for developers

✅ It improves how teams collaborate, organize, and version their work

✅ Even basic Git skills can make you a more effective team member

👋 Stay tuned for our next Lunch & Learn!

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