Any similar questions that I've found asked specifically about setting up local environments and/or setting up version control. They never ask whether it's possible to have a development workflow for themes and plugins while still allowing non-technical users to modify content directly on a web server using the admin dashboard.

I'm new to WordPress...is it possible to deploy only the files required to update themes and plugins and not overwrite new content on the server?

I feel these big companies using WordPress must have found a way to enable both release management processes and quick content updates using the admin dashboard.

Thanks for any guidance!