Solving big problems with small teams
Jonny Williams works at Red Hat as an agile Delivery Lead, and he joins Tiny DevOps to cut through the confusion surrounding "Delivery Management". In this episode... What is "Delivery Management"? The discipline vs the role Comparisons to Product Management, Agile, Lean, Scrum, ITIL, and ITSM History of Delivery Management How does Delivery Management fit into "Agile"? Where is Delivery Management most popular? How can you start benefiting from the Delivery Management discipline in your organization? How to get started as a Delivery Manager Who should avoid Delivery Management GuestJonny Williams, Agile Delivery Lead at Red HatWeb site: https://delivervalue.uk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonny-williams-83433836/ResourcesBook: Delivery Management: Enabling Teams to Deliver ValueWatch this episode on YouTube.
Gorjan Jovanoski is the co-founder of AirCare, the mobile app that helps you know what you breathe. He joins me to tell the story of founding AirCare, and share some of the surprises, good and bad, along the way.In this episode... What is AirCare, and what does it do for you? What is its business model? AirCare's origin story AirCare's tech stack: Flutter, PHP, MongoDB, DigitalOcian Request volume and seasonality How to aggregate 35,000 data sources in PHP Detecting and responding to a DoS attack The software development cycle at AirCare Observability at AirCare Scaling challenges along the way Next steps and objectives GuestGorjan JovanoskiAirCare web siteWatch this episode on YouTube.
Oshri Cohen is a fractional CTO with a diverse background, currently working with four companies. He joins me on the show to cut through some of the confusion surrounding the Chief Technical Officer role.In this episode: The four phases of the CTO role How often can the same person satisfy the needs of all four phases? (Spoiler: Very rarely) How often can a founding CTO succeed in all four phases? A good CTO focuses on his or her strengths, and hires out the rest What lead Oshri to start as a fCTO Why many, perhaps most, early-stage startups don't need a full-time CTO Why a development agency is like a mischievous genie Why developers love working with a fCTO What could you do with the 150k you'd save by hiring a fCTO instead of a full-time CTO? Tips for becoming an fCTO yourself GuestOshri CohenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oshricohen/Website: oshricohen.meWatch this episode on YouTube.
Paul Cothenet of Patch.io joins me this time to discuss war stories implementing observabillity at two small startups.In this episode…- How to choose an obervabillity tool/platform- Why AWS doesn't provide the best observability platform- Teaching the team to use observability- How to convince stakeholders that observability is valuable- What would you miss the most if your observability platform was no longer available?- The business value of a good observability solution- Making observability metrics easy for management to use- What does it all cost?- Advice for getting startedResourcesRands Leadership Slack: https://randsinrepose.com/welcome-to-rands-leadership-slack/GuestPaul CothenetTwitter: @paulcothenetCompany, and jobs: patch.ioWatch this episode on YouTube.
James McShane is the Engineering Director at SuperOrbital and has been working with Kubernetes for about 6 years, in a large number of environments. He joins the show today to help unpack whether Kubernetes is a good choice for your small company.- What is Kubernetes, and what problems does it solve for you?- Choosing Kubernetes means choosing a set of problems.- Which application architectures match well with Kubernetes?- Which problems Kubernetes doesn't solve well for you.- How to handle your application data layer when starting with Kubernetes- Some of the differences between the big three's Kubernetes offerings- Should you hire experienced Kubernetes engineers before adopting Kubernetes?- Why is Kubernetes controversial, and how can a newcomer cut through the hype?- Common newbie mistakes- How does price figure into the decision to choose Kubernetes or not?- How to learn Kubernetes if your employer isn't using itGuestJames McShaneTwitter: @jmcshaneEngineering Director at SuperOrbital.ioWatch this episode on YouTube.
Dave Mangot is a speaker, author, teacher, and Silicon Valley veteran. His focus is helping private equity portofolio companies use their technology organization to maximize growth, and he joins me today to discuss the contentious topic of Friday deployments and why you definitely should do them and why you definitely should not do them. Confused?In this episode Mores are not moratoriums Shaming is inappropriate, on both sides of the issue Every outage is unexpected, nobody knows what might go wrong Friday deployment should be an informed choice Why small batch deployments are important Deploying features vs other changes You should be able to deploy at any time, but separate that from choosing to deploy at any time Why more QA can be worse than less QA If deployment hurts, or causes fear, do it more Responding to failures when they do occur Building an accurate mental model of your system ResourcesArticle: Deploy on Fridays, or Don'tBook: Continuous Delivery by Jez Humble and Dave FarleyTalk: How Complex Systems Fail by Richard Cook (Velocity 2012)Book: Project to Product by Mik KerstenBook: Out of the Crisis by W. Edwards DemingGuestDave MangotWeb site: https://www.mangoteque.com/LinkedIn: mangotTwitter: @davemangotWatch this episode on YouTube.
Problem solver Tod Hansmann of Catalyst joins me to discuss "observability": What it is, why it means different things to different people, and how to get started if it's new for you.In this episode: What is observability (o11y)? What can observability do for you? What metrics should you track? How does observability relate to logging, alerting, monitoring, and other practices? Who should be responsbile for obervability? How heavily should upper management be involved? How does observability relate to culture? CI/CD as a prerequisite for observability Why metrics are better than logs Surprising metrics that can be important The relationship between monitoring and automated testing Good observability as an enabler for canary deployments, test in production, and other practices How to define service level objectives How do you define "uptime" How to address corner cases Why being on call is desireable GuestTod HansmannTwitter: @todpunkLinkedIn: Tod HansmannCatalystResourcesBook: Site Reliability EngineeringWatch this episode on YouTube.
Jason Adam is a software with a non-traditional background in biology, business development, and data analytics. Now he's active as a developer, and on the lookout for proven practices he can introduce to his team. On this episode we talk about Trunk-Based Development, and the related topics of continuous integration and deployment, infrastruture as code, and much more.In this episode How Trunk-based development differs from GitFlow and other branching strategies Two flavors of trunk-based development How Trunk-based development fits into the larger picture of continuous integration and continuous delivery Techniques for working in smaller batches How test-driven development enhances trunk-based development Using feature flags for smaller batches How to keep pull requests small Cherry-picking small changes out of a larger pull request How Infrastructure-as-Code works with CI and CD Resources Book: Continuous Delivery by Jez Humble and Dave Farley Book: Domain-Driven Design by Eric Evans Book: Working Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers Book: Clean Architecture by Robert Martin GuestJason AdamWeb site & newsletter: functionalbits.ioHave a topic to discuss on the show? Let me know!Want a private consultation? Borrow my brain.Watch this episode on YouTube.
The Tiny DevOps podcast is back!Plus a couple of announcements.Sign up for the Lean CD Seminar.Check out the Boldly Go channel.Watch this episode on YouTube.
Since leaving the Royal Navy about 7 years ago, Jac Hughes has found himself drawn to the world of Scrum and agile software development. He now runs Everyday Agile, an agile coaching and training business based in the UK.In this episode How Jac got into Agile and Scrum Learning from a wide variety of organizations, from simple to complex What does "Agile" mean to you, and how is it different from "agility"? What is the relationship between Scrum and agility? Picking and choosing the elements of Scrum, SAFe, LeSS, and other approaches, that work best for the context. When is Scrum the right or wrong fit? Top-down vs bottom-up agile adoption How agility permeates the business, not just development, from client contracts to recruiting and onboarding, and everything else How to decide on an agile approach, whether Scrum or something else Does Scrum work when cross-functional teams aren't possible? Biggest misconceptions about Scrum How to start adopting Scrum Does Scrum make sense for a platform, operations, or DevOps team? Thoughts on story points, estimates, and #NoEstimates How important is official Scrum training or certifications? When and how should a team find external help when implementing Scrum? ResourcesBook: When Will It Be Done? by Daniel S. VacantiBlog series: Story Pointless (Part 1 of 3) by Nick BrownPodcast: Scrum Master ToolboxGuestJac HughesLinkedIn: jac-hughesEveryday AgileYouTube channel: Everyday AgileWatch this episode on YouTube.
Morgan Craft is a New York-based former software engineer and CTO, and currently a founder and Fractional CTO. He joins me to discuss the concept of a fractional CTO, why they're growing in popularity, and how to decide whether one is right for you.In this episode Why would a company hire a fractional CTO instead of a full-time CTO? Why it's so hard for early-stage startups to hire a full-time CTO How soon should a new company hire a fractional CTO? What are the risks of continuing without a CTO? How "hands-on" is a typical fractional CTO? The relationship between the CTO and the product in small companies How to choose a fractional CTO How do you coach and mentor developers you work with? Thoughts on working with off-shore developers? Is a fractional CTO as committed as a full-time CTO? What does it look like to graduate from a fractional CTO to a full-time CTO? What does a fractional CTO cost? Do fractional CTOs typically earn equity? Using a fractional CTO to hire your first developer How to connect with a fractional CTO Resources Morgan Craft on Managers Club podcast: What is a Fractional CTO? Rand's List Leadership Slack GuestMorgan CraftWeb site: MorganCraft.comLinkedIn: mgan59gitBabelWatch this episode on YouTube.
Stacy Cashmore has the interesting title of Tech Explorer DevOps at Omniplan, which means she has free reign to do what she thinks she needs to do! In this episode, we talk about a big rewrite decision she made, and the results of this decision, good and bad.In this episode Why "DevOps" does not belong in a job title, and why Stacy put it in her job title anyway. What is DevOps, if not a job title? How to respond to mistakes we've made Why a rewrite is always the wrong decision Why a rewrite was the right decision in this case The pressure of proving yourself once you convince management to do a rewrite DevOps and CI/CD goals for the new system Where the problem started to go wrong: Awkward tests, shortcuts and technical debt Working against deadline pressure Taking the pragmatic approach to CD The drawbacks to not doing "full CD" Plans for ongoing improvement Things to do differently next time, and lessons learned ResourcesSix Degrees of Kevin BaconThe DevOps Handbook by Gene Kim, Patrick Debois, John Willis, Jez Humble The Unicorn Project by Gene KimThe Phoenix Project by Gene KimGuestStacy CashmoreTwitter: @Stacy_CashWeb site: stacy-clouds.netWatch this episode on YouTube.
Bryan Finster returns to Tiny DevOps, this time to explain the amazing benefits of his new Scaled Agile DevOps Maturity Framework (SAD MF), the silver bullet that you, and literally everyone else, should be using.In this episode What motivated the invention of the Scaled Agile DevOps Maturity Framework (SAD MF)? How Convoys are superior to Trains for agility An overview of some of the new Agile Ceremonies introduced by this innovative framework The benefits of Scrum of Scrum of Scrum of Scrums How SAD ensures that we build quality in, via the ceremony of the Tribunal How to guard psychological safety of leadership How a SAD MF certification badge exemplifies the value of certification badges Why you should absolutely be SAD MF certified, even if you already have other certifications Why executives love SAD MF: No risk of culture change! Why the titles provided by SAD MF instill confidence in the heirarchy Why nobody dislikes SAD MF The amazing metrics mandated by SAD MF which make manager's lives seem easier immediately How the SAD MF QA Team frees coders from worrying about user requirements, and whether their code works What changes are coming up in SAD MF 3.0? ResourcesScaled Agile DevOpsMinimum Viable CD and (Tiny DevOps Episode #21)GuestBryan FinsterLinkedIn: bryan-finsterMedium: https://bdfinst.medium.com/Watch this episode on YouTube.
More and more organizations are adopting a "Radically Collaborative" approach to business. Matt K. Parker, author of the new book A Radical Enterprise joins me to discuss what this means, why it's desirable, and how to begin adopting these practices in our own organizations.In this episode What is "Radical Collaboration"? What does radical collaboration mean for the business bottom line? The four imperatives of radical collaboration: Team Autonomy, Managerial Devolution, Deficiency Gratification, Candid Vulnerability How do Agile Software Development and the DevOps movement relate to the idea of radical collaboration? How are OKRs similar to or different from the radical collaboration model? The "Advice Process", and how decisions are made without designated managers. What recourse do these organizations have against potential "bad actors"? How do self-selected salaries work? How does this book fit into the landscape of recent books such as Reinventing Organizations and Team of Teams on new ways of management? Do companies ever fail in their attempts to become radically collaborative, and why? What can a lone individual do to begin a transformation toward radical collaboration? When is the best time in a company's life cycle to begin a radical collaboration transformation? What can a solo founder or entrepreneur do to begin laying the foundation for radical collaboration when they make their first hire? How long does it take to transform to a radically collaborative organization? Resources Book: A Radical Enterprise by Matt K. Parker HOW report Book: High Output Management by Andrew Grove Book: Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux Book: Team of Teams by Gen. Stanley McChrystal Book: Corporate Rebels by Joost Minnaar Blog post: How to Run A Radically Collaborative Meeting In 3 Easy Steps by Matt K. Parker Book: Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet Book: Humanocracy by Gary Hamel & Michele Zanini Book: The No-Limits Enterprise by Doug Kirkpatrick Book: Holacracy by Brian J. Robertson Corporate Rebels web site MattKParker.com to join the Slack community GuestMatt K. ParkerWeb site: MattKParker.comEmail: matt@mattkparker.comWatch this episode on YouTube.
In this episode, I tackle some questions from listeners, and provide my own answers to your DevOps Careers questions: What are red flags in job ads about DevOps? How can I best prepare for an interview? What can I do to prepare for a DevOps Director Role? How do we cope with the expectation that we need to be learning new technologies all the time? ResourcesThe Daily Commit: Knowledge OptionsSend your questions for an upcoming Q&A episode to jonathan@jhall.io.Watch this episode on YouTube.
Joy Ebertz is a Principal Software Engineer at Split. She focuses on the technical vision for the backend team, and she joins me today to talk about some of the obvious, as well as not so obvoius ways in which feature flags can be used on projects of any size. In this episode When does it make sense to start using a Feature Flagging library or service? Should you build your own Feature Flagging service? Using Feature Flags to test in production Using Feature Flags for large features to allow Continuous Integratoin Enabling feature packs or service tiers with Feature Flags Feature Flags for circuit-breaking How to use Feature Flags for infrastructure migrations What is feature parity checking, and how to do it with Feature Flags Some common gotchas with Feature Flags How do A/B tests relate to Feature Flags? Differences on mobile apps when using Feature Flags ResourcesSplit.ioBlog: 7 Ways We Use Feature Flags Every Day at SplitGuestJoy EbertzBlog: https://jkebertz.medium.com/Twitter: @jkebertzLinkedIn: joyebertzWatch this episode on YouTube.
This week I share the story of a single bit gone wrong back in 2006, which launched my career on a new trajectory of root-cause analysis, continuous improvement, and DevOps.ResourcesBlog: Joel on SoftwareBook: Working Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers Book: Extreme Programming Explained by Kent Beck Book: Clean Code by Robert MartinThe Joel TestTalk: 10+ Deploys Per Day (12:45)The Jonathan TestLean CD BootcampPresentation Slides and notesWatch this episode on YouTube.
Lynn Thames' business Excel Software Services, helps manufacturing and distribution companies with software automation. She joins me to help answer the question: What does software development have in common with manufacturing? Her answer: Agility.In this episode Who is Excel Software Services, and what they do How Excel was founded by Lynn's father in 1978 What kinds of companies Excel work with, and what problems they need help solving How Excel solves these problems, with SaaS and custom software solutions The challenge and dangers of vendor lock-in when building on a third-party platform like Magento Parallels between manufacturing and software development The challenges and benefits of doing agile software development for clients The importance of trust and buy-in for agile software development Value-pricing software development Excel's switch from waterfall to agile and Scrum Estimating development tasks for clients ResourcesBook: The Phoenix ProjectBook: The GoalValue PricingGuestLynn ThamesExcel Software ServicesWatch this episode on YouTube.
Does your company produce open-source software? Are you considering doing so? Emily Omier helps open-source startups with product positioning, and today she joins me to discuss how you can position your open-source project, if you have one, and help you decide if you should have one.In this episode: What are the reasons to contribute open-source, as a company? What are the differences and siilarities between open-source and non-open-source software products. How to market your product to both technical and non-technical people. Why to focus on outcomes before features Who are the buyers/stakeholders for your product? Use language that resonates with your target audience Should you seek contributors for an open-source project? And if so, how? Tips for accepting financial sponsorships GuestEmily Omieremilyomier.comCloud Native Startup podcastPositioning Open Source blogTwitter: @EmilyOmierWatch this episode on YouTube.
Adrian Stanek, of Bits in Motion, joins me to relate his success story of transforming his organization's software development process via baby steps. We discuss his old architecture, why it was problematic, and the strategy he employed to gradually replace it with a new, more modern micro-frontend-based architecture. Adrian also shares where improvements are still needed, and his planned next steps to get there.ResourcesDaily Email: Why most Agile Transformations failStrangler Fig Application by Martin FowlerLean CDGuestAdrian StanekLinkedIn: adrianstanekhttps://adrianstanek.dev/bitsinmotionWatch this episode on YouTube.
Charles Max Wood is the founder of Top End Devs, a platform focused on teaching developers how to achive top 5% status in their chosen field, and in this episode we talk about what that means, and how six simple practices can help you achieve that goal.We discuss whether everyone ought to aim for the top 5%, and why most people don't make it. We talk about the daily, weekly, monthly, and other habits that can help anyone climb the ranks quickly. ResourcesAdventures in DevOps PodcastTop End DevsBook: The MaxCoders Guide To Finding Your Dream Developer JobGuestCharles Max WoodTop End Devs half off!Twitter: @cmaxwWatch this episode on YouTube.
Will Button, co-host of the Adventures in DevOps podcast and DevOps "YouTuber" joins me to discuss his nascent DevOps media empire.Will talks about his motivation to start doing online training and his YouTube channel, his core audience, and walks us through some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his content creation, along with a healthy dose of encouragement for anyone else interested in dipping their toe into the YouTube water. ResourcesAdventures in DevOps podcastEgghead.ioPluralsightPackt PublishingDevOps for Developers on YouTubeVideo: DevOps FutureVideo: DIY DevOps ProjectsMy daily list: The Daily CommitThe Million Dollar HomepageGuestWill ButtonYouTube channel: DevOps for DevelopersTwitter: @wfbuttonWatch this episode on YouTube.
Rob Walling, co-founder of the TinySeed accelerator for bootstrapped SaaS founders, joins me to discuss what investors and potential acquirers look for in the technology they're investing in. What technology choices matter to potential investors or acquirers of your company? Can tech debt sink a deal? Does it matter at this level if you use Kubernetes?ResourcesPodcast: Startups For the Rest Of UsTinySeedMicroConf ConnectMicroConf YouTube ChannelGuestRob WallingTwitter: @robwallingWatch this episode on YouTube.
In this week's episode we strive to define some confusing and controversial terms: DevOps Agile MVP API Done Hacker/Hacking Engineer vs Developer Tiny ResourcesVideo: 10+ Deploys Per Day 2:08The Manifesto for Agile Software DevelopmentBook: The Lean Startup by Eric ReisHumans are Turing CompleteTiny DevOps Episode 19: Mastering Evolutionary Design with J.B. Rainsberger 44:15Co-hostAmando AbreuLinkedInWatch this episode on YouTube.
Steve Wells is a former developer, Scrum master, and agile coach who now builds online games and simulations related to Agile software development practices.ResourcesAgile Cambridge 2018 talk: Efficiencies in interdependent agile teamsNo Estimates Board Game by Matt PhilipBook: The Goal by Eliyahu M. GoldrattBook: The Phoenix Project by Gene KimThe Pareto PrincipleThe Phoenix Project DevOps SimulationGuestSteve WellsContact via web site: https://agilesimulations.co.uk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hogsmill/Watch this episode on YouTube.
Parham Doustdar, Engineering Manager of Accessibility at Booking.com, joins me to discuss life as a fully blind sofware engineer, and how we can make engineering tools more accessible for everyone, not just those with disabilities.Whether you have a disability or not, whether it's visible or invisible, accessibility affects you. Parham talks about the benefits to everyone of clean code, explict error messages, and using multiple modes of communication. He talks about his experience getting into tech, the unique challenges, and joys, of doing so without the benefit of physical sight, and gives some tips for how every one of us can improve the quality of life of everyone else who uses the systems we build. ResourcesMicrosoft Accessibility resourcesApple's developer resourcesBook: Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship by Robert C. MartinGuestParham DoustdarTwitter: @PD90Web site: https://parhamdoustdar.com/Watch this episode on YouTube.
Jillian Rowe, who you may know as a regular co-panelist on the Adventures in DevOps podcast, joins me to talk about her work at the crossroads of bioinformatics, Data Science and DevOps. We have a casual conversation about her business as a freelancer and early-stage startup founder, and some of the unique challenges that come when working with Big Data and bioinformatics, and how she is addressing scaling challenges as a solo operator.ResourcesScience DailyStrapi headless CMSHugo static site generatorDiscourseBioAnalyze on GitHubBioAnalyze newsletterBioinformatics on AWS YouTube ChannelGuestJillian RoweTwitter: @jillianeroweLinkedIn: Jillian Rowe
Ola Ellnestam, along with co-author Daniel Brolund, wrote the book The Mikado Method, which describes an incremental approach to code refactoring, as well as project management. In this interview Ola discusses the application of the technique, common pitfalls and objections to it, and provides insight into how the technique can be used to help communicate technical debt and dependencies with non-technical stakeholders. ResourcesBook: The Mikado Method by Ola ellnestam and Daniel BrolundBlog post: test && commit || revert by Kent BeckVideo: The Mikado Method: Increase Productivity, Workflow Management, and Sex Appeal! by Jonathan HallThe Mikado ToolGuestOla EllnestamTwitter: @ellnestamLinkedIn: ellnestamEmail: ola@agical.seWatch this episode on YouTube.
Ashleigh Cornelius is the founder of Localise, a UK-based startup on a mission to bring consumers together with local, independent businesses. We talk about the vision and story of Localise, and some of the challenges he's faced as a (mostly) non-technical founder building a technology startup.ResourcesLocalise web siteInstagramFacebookLinkedInGuestAshleigh Cornelius on Instagram
Andy Suderman of Fairwinds joins me to talk about the pros and cons of each of the big three cloud providers, Amazon EKS, Google GKE, and Azure AKS, and helps point new Kubernetes adoptors to the optimal provider for their needs.GuestAndy SudermanFind him on the Kubernetes slack or CNCF slackResourcesAmazon EKSGoogle GKEAzure AKSFairwinds Insights to simplify KubernetesWatch this episode on YouTube
Bryan Finster is a co-creator of Minimum Viable Continuous Delivery, and in this episode we talk about how this concept was born, what problems it aims to address, and how you can use it on your team to improve your continuous delivery.Resourcesminimumcd.orgeBook: Trunk-Based Development by Paul HammantGuestBryan FinsterLinkedIn5 Minute DevOps blogWatch this episode on YouTube
J.B. Rainsberger is a long-time XP practitioner, who believes in helping developers simplify their work lives.In this second of a two-part interview, J. B. offers practical advice on how to "get over the hump" of evolutionary design, and really, how to learn any new skill.ResourcesGeoffrey Moore's chasm theoryChunking article from WikipediaBook: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanBook: The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt7 minutes, 26 seconds talk by J. B. Rainsberger (34:37)The World's Best Intro to TDDGuestJ.B. RainsbergerPersonal SiteBlogListen to part 1Watch this episode on YouTube
J.B. Rainsberger is a long-time XP practitioner, who believes in helping developers simplify their work lives.In this first part of a two-part interview, J. B. joins me to talk about evolutionary design, what it is, why it's useful, and the barriers that keep many people from experiencing its benefits.ResourcesTest-Driven Development by Example by Kent BeckProgrammer Anarchy talk by Fred GeorgeWorking Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael FeathersGuestJ.B. RainsbergerPersonal SiteThe World's Best Intro to TDDBlogWatch this episode on YouTube
Steve Pereira describes the concept of value stream mapping, and how it, and related techniques, can be used to improve the flow of practically any process from product ideation to delivery and customer experience. Steve is the founder of Visible, and is obsessed with making tech human, and leveraging it to deliver continuous value. ResourcesBook: Project to Product by Dr. Mik KerstenFree eBook: Flow Engineering by Steve PereiraValue Stream Management CourseNewsletter for upcoming book: Inside OutGuest: Steve PereiraLinkedInEmail: steve@visible.isUltimate linkWatch this episode on YouTube
In this episode, Daniel Bartholomae, CTO of Optilyz, "borrows my brain" for a consultatative discussion about how to improve the integration of QA in a growing startup with just two dev teams.We discuss the theory of setting up QA to support developers, rather than to act as gatekeepers, and many of the practical implications. ResourcesBorrow my brainTiny DevOps Episode #5: George Stocker — A Dogma-Free Approach to TDDBook: Accelerate by Nicole Forsgren PhD, Jez Humble, and Gene KimGuestDaniel Bartholomae, CTO of OptilyzOptilyz job openingsWatch this episode on YouTube
In this short, Halloween bonus episode, I talk about a very scary technical screening process I learned about just a couple of days ago. I explain why the screening process is scary from the perspective of both the candidate, and the hiring manager.Looking to hire a DevOps engineer soon? You may be interested in my upcoming book How To Hire Your First DevOps Engineer. Sign up to receive updates as more information becomes available.Watch this episode on YouTube
In this episode I speak with Lukas Vermeer, former head of experimentation at Booking.com, and currently working with Vista. He answers the question of whether A/B testing makes sense in small companies and startups, and with small numbers of customers. We also discuss the broader topic of experimentation in general, and applying the scientific method to business development.ResourcesDutch TV interview with Edsger Dijkstra in which he expounds his theory on software versionsEdmond Halley on WikipediaBook: Experimentation Works: The Surprising Power of Business Experiments by Stefan H. ThomkeBook: Trustworthy Online Controlled Experiments: A Practical Guide to A/B Testing by Ron Kohavi, Diane Tang & Ya XuBook: Field Experiments: Design, Analysis, and Interpretation by Alan S. Gerber & Donald P. GreenBook: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. KuhnGuestLukas Vermeerhttps://lukasvermeer.nl/lukas@lukasvermeer.nlWatch this episode on YouTube
This episode is a replay of my Scrum Day Europe 2021 presentation, Scrum Isn't Enough: Why DevOps is essential for Agile success.When Scrum was formulated, it was seen as a “wrapper” for more technical agile practices, such as Extreme Programming. A conscious choice was made to focus on the relationship between software developers and management. It was assumed that Scrum would be used to promote more technical developer practices, which Scrum leaves unaddressed. DevOps not only works hand-in-glove with Scrum to fill in these missing gaps, it is more and more seen as an essential tool for Agile success.Resources:Scrum Day Europe 2021Presentation slidesBook: Agile Software Development with ScrumThe 2021 Scrum GuideBook: The Phoenix ProjectBook: The Unicorn ProjectFree email Lean CD BootcampWatch the video of this episode.
Ben Curtis is one of the cofounders of Honeybadger.io, and in this episode we talk about the joys, and challenges, of managing infrastructure on a bootstrapped budget. Ben walks us through 9 years of history since Honeybadger.io's inception, to today, and offers concrete tips you can employ so you can take a holiday again!ResourcesShip it! A Practical Guide to Successful Software ProjectsSite Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems or read free onlineThe Unicorn Project: A Novel about Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of DataHoneybadger exception monitoringToday's GuestBen CurtisTwitter: @stympyEmail: ben@honeybadger.ioWatch episode on YouTube
Molood Ceccarelli is the founder of Remote Forever. She is a remote work strategist and agile coach often referred to as the queen of remote work in agile. Her work has been published in places such as Forbes, Huffington Post and Inc.com as well as Scrum Alliance and Shiftup.In this episode, we discuss the differences between remote work during the pandemic, and "normal" remote work. Molood gives tips on how to make your company, team, or individual work more effecitve, productive, and free using remote-first techniques and principles.Today's GuestMolood CeccarelliRemote ForeverSocial Media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TwitterWatch this episode on YouTube
Luca Ingianni is a former aeronautical engineer turned IT and DevOps practicioner. He is a teacher and advisor on a mission to teach and advise engineers to apply DevOps ways that works best for them and their customers. He is also the co-host of The Agile Embedded podcast.In this episode, we talk about applying DevOps principles to "non-standard" technical stacks, particularly to answer the question: Does DevOps make sense for embedded systems software?Today's GuestLuca IngianniCo-host of The Agile Embedded PodcastPersonal web siteResourcesBook: Test-Driven Development for Embedded C by James GrenningWatch this episode on YouTube.
Mike Taber is the single founder of Bluetick.io, the SaaS which automates email follow-ups. In this episode, we talk about his life as the single Dev, single Ops, single Marketing, and single everything else in his company.Today's GuestMike TaberTwitter: @SingleFounderBluetick: https://bluetick.io/Founder Cafe: https://www.foundercafe.com/Resources:Startups for the Rest of Us PodcastMicroConfWatch this episode on YouTube.
Erik Dietrich is the author of "The Expert Beginner", which expands on the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition with the addition of the "Expert Beginner", one who stops learning, incorrectly believing they have achieved expert level.We discuss factors that lead to this phenomenon and how to detect it in yourself and overcome the trap if you've fallen victim. Erik also discusses the types of organizations and management practices that promote this toxic persona.Resources:Book: The Expert Beginner Blog post: How Developers Stop Learning: Rise of the Expert BeginnerWikipedia: Dreyfus Model of Skill AcquisitionToday's GuestErik Dietrichhttps://daedtech.com/https://www.hitsubscribe.com/Watch this episode on YouTube.
Miriam Tocino is a children's book author and illustrator who focuses on teaching children a passion for technology. In this episode, we create a story together of the characters Zerus and Ona, as they explore how a voice message is sent through the cloud, to a friend.We use this this to demonstrate the process of using illustrations and creative imagery to explain complex topics to children and other non-technical people.Watch the recording of the full, unedited workshop here.Today's GuestMiriam TocinoTwitter: @miriamtocino or @zerusandonaEmail: miriam@zerusandona.com Resources Free Zerus & Ona Binary Carnival Card Game 16% discount code on book purchases from zerusandona.com: TINYDEVOPS Avital TzubeliLinkedIn: tzubeli Katie CunninghamResearch article: Avoiding the Turing Tarpit: Learning Conversational Programming by Starting from Code's PurposeVideo: Avoiding the Turing Tarpit: Learning Conversational Programming by Starting from Code's PurposeTwitter: @katieirenec Watch this episode on YouTube.
In this Q&A episode, guest co-host Amando Abreu and I answer the following listener questions:- Why is it so hard to persuade people not to put passwords/tokens/api-keys/ssh-keys in git repos?- Do Developers become better DevOps Engineers than those from an Infrastructure background?- Do you have an automatic process for rolling back failed deploys?- How do you find meaning and satisfaction in the indifferent existential vacuum of modern life?- How do you prepare for a job interview?- What is the best type of company to work for as a beginner?ResourcesStory of secrets accidentally stored in git, Episode 2 of Tiny DevOpsDiscussion of Dev vs Infra background for DevOps, Episode 1 of Tiny DevOpsDaily email archive: Skip the take-home assignment Co-hostAmando AbreuLinkedInWatch this episode on YouTube.
Joel Clermont, host of the No Compromises podcast, shares his wisdom on the topic of good digital hygiene, as it relates to development projects, particularly the bits that aren't software. Have you ever joined a team with poor documentation? With third-party credentials scattered all over the place?Listen to us discuss some simple approaches to solving these problems for the people who will be inheriting a project after you.Joel ClermontPodcast: No CompromisesProducts: https://nocompromises.io/productsBlog: https://joelclermont.com/Twitter: @jclermontWatch this episode on YouTube.
Olaf Molenveld, former CTO of Vamp (now part of CirlceCI), joins me to explain the concept of Progressive Delivery, when it makes sense, and what homework every team should do before getting started with canary deployments, red/green deployments, and other progressive strategies.Resources:Article Towards Progressive Delivery by James Governor RedMonkApplication deployment and testing strategies from Google: Guest:Olaf Molenveld, former CTO of Vamp, now part of CircleCILinkedInEmail: olaf@circleci.comWatch this episode on YouTube.
Guest Goerge Stocker cuts through the often polarizing debate about Test-Driven Development (TDD) and offers his view on when the practice does and DOES NOT make sense, based on technology as well as human factors which are often overlooked. We discuss the concept that TDD is one of a vast array of techniques to choose from, and some of what goes into selecting the right tool for the job.ResourcesBoundaries talk by Gary Bernhardt of Destroy All SoftwareIs TDD Right for Your Team? by George StockerToday's GuestGeorge Stockerhttps://georgestocker.comTwitter: @gortokWatch this episode on YouTube.
In this episode, I talk with Peter Morlion about his love for fixing and improving legacy code, what legacy code is, how we can detect it, and what to do about it when we're faced with it.Resources:Book: Working Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers: Martin Fowler's blogLegacy Code RocksMenderConToday's Guest:Peter MorlionPersonal tech blog Technical debt blogTwitter: @petermorlionLinkedIn: petermorlionWatch the video of this episode
Zachary Randall talks about the benefits of serverless technology, especially for small and understaffed teams. Aside from saving money on the hosting bill, serverless can simplify maintenence. We also discuss what it takes to get started with serverless, and what changes are necessary from a tooling or workflow standpoint.Today's Guest:Zachary RandallTwitter: @thez0rkChameleon CollectiveMusic: Northern Crown, Miasma TheoryWatch the video of this episode
John Goerzen is a staff engineer at Fastly, and an amateur pilot. In this episode, we talk about some of the parallels between aviation and IT, as it relates to risk management, incident response, and the mentalities that can lead to problems. We discuss the concept of an accident chain; the idea that most incidents don't have a single cause, but a long list of contributing causes. We discuss the importance of blameless postmortems for improving how we respond to failures, and the human aspect of incident prevention.Resources:Video: Faulty AssumptionsNASA ASRS reports: CallbackVideo series: AOPA Accident Case Studies PDF: FAA Aeronautical Decision MakingToday's Guest:John GoerzenBlog: The ChangelogMastadon: @jgoerzen@floss.socialTwitter: @jgoerzenWatch the video of this episode