Rescuing DevOps (From Myself)

I have wasted more time than I care to admit arguing about the definition and proper use of the term "DevOps". I will confess to having uttered the words "if you have a DevOps team then you're doing it wrong". Over time I've grudgingly given in to various redefinitions, the saddest one being that DevOps - and its offspring SRE - are just new names for the same old IT departments and practices.

For better or worse, I still can't keep myself from reacting to the red cape being waved in front of me. In a recent conversation, a colleague used the term DevOps in a context that didn't make sense to me. I was about to object, when I realized something that might actually be useful.

My colleague was specifically referring to tools, activities, and organizational structures that make it easier for applications teams to achieve fast flow. He was thinking about SRE/Platform Engineering/Cloud Engineering fulfilling their intended purpose. When he said "DevOps", what he meant was Operations on behalf of Development.

The DevOps portmanteau has always been confusing. My colleague's definition fits nicely with the fact that Ops is the natural noun in DevOps. It's also compatible with the Team Topologies framework. IMHO that framework is the most practical application of DevOps for real-world organizations. It goes beyond admonitions to "break down silos" and provides a healthy model for dedicated infrastructure/operations teams. Platform and enabling teams fulfill the intent of the dreaded DevOps team. They reduce cognitive load so stream-aligned product teams can increase flow.

DevOps as "ops in support of developer flow" may still lose some of the framers' initial intent. For me, at least, it promises some peace of mind. I can stop worry about whether someone is polluting or diluting the word. In my experience, most current use of the term is highly compatible with ops for the sake of dev. As a result, when people say "DevOps" I can respond with "OK" instead of "yes, but…", and we can all get on with our jobs, which is satisfying customers by continuously delivering valuable software.

P.S. it's entirely possible that everything I just said is obvious to everyone but me. If so, then I appreciate your patience while I catch up with the rest of you in public. ??