---
title: "⚡ Main Branch: The One Where Steps Stop Standing in Line"
date: 2026-06-29
author: Andrea Griffiths
language: en
issue: 32
excerpt: "GitHub Actions can now run steps in parallel, and your issues list finally got saved views worth sharing."
tags: ["github-actions", "parallel-steps", "saved-views", "github-issues", "ci-cd", "newsletter"]
canonical_url: https://mainbranch.beehiiv.com/p/the-one-where-steps-stop-standing-in-line-issue-32
---

Hiya friends,

If you've ever watched a workflow crawl through steps one at a time, or rebuilt the same issue filter for the tenth time this week, both of this week's updates are for you. GitHub shipped fixes for exactly those two waits.

## 🚢 What Shipped

**[Actions steps can now run in parallel](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-06-25-actions-steps-can-now-be-run-in-parallel/).** Until now, every step in a job ran in sequence, each one waiting for the last to finish. You could background a step with a shell `&`, but the logs interleaved into a mess. As of June 25, four new keywords fix that: `background: true` kicks off a step and moves on, `wait`/`wait-all` pauses until named background steps finish, `cancel` cleanly stops one you no longer need, and `parallel` wraps a group of steps with a `wait` after. Logs stay separate. Start a service in the background while dependent work runs, or build multiple targets at once in a single job.

**[Saved views for repository issues](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-06-25-saved-views-for-repository-issues-and-adjustable-row-heights-in-projects/) landed in public preview.** Anyone with triage access or above can now build shared filtered views like "Unassigned bugs" or "Needs triage," set them up once, and the whole repo sees the same thing. They live in a new Issues sidebar next to quick links like `Assigned to me`, `Created by me`, and `Mentioned`. The sidebar also gives Projects a home and surfaces milestones and labels. If you maintain anything with a steady stream of incoming issues, this is the difference between everyone rebuilding the same filter and everyone working from one.

## 🎧 What I'm Listening To

**[Acquired: Ferrari](https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/ferrari), with Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal**

Not a tech episode. I finally made time for it, and it is one of the best things I have listened to in a while. The throughline is that Ferrari built its whole business on the judgment of what not to make, holding production one car below demand, refusing the scale that would dilute the thing.

Worth your time if: you like business history, or you have ever defended a decision by pointing at what you chose not to do.

## 🔧 What I'm Using

_Andrea's Field Notes_, a working Copilot [app canvas](https://awesome-copilot.github.com/learning-hub/working-with-canvas-extensions/) that collects everything I'm building or tracking: DevRel signals, Copilot/App/CLI ideas, AAIF Ambassador work, volunteer projects, demos, content leads, LT-report receipts. It's the one place I check before deciding what's worth my time. Try building your own with this [prompt](https://gist.github.com/AndreaGriffiths11/896d37a0ba6e814cd25c0f585f42139f).

## ✨ This Week

I'm in Colombia for some R&R, which has mostly meant eating my weight in pandebono and mild heart attacks courtesy of the World Cup. My heart is so heavy for Venezuela right now, if you have room to help, Yummy is coordinating aid, and several companies have pledged to match donations: [Dona con Yummy](https://dona.yummyrides.com/).

![Ready to support la selección Colombia](/images/issue-32-seleccion-colombia.jpg)

See you in two weeks.

With gratitude,
Andrea