?? Rethinking DevOps: Welcome to the Age of Platform Engineering ??

Ah, DevOps... It’s been hanging around for over a decade and a half, weaving its way through the IT tapestry of countless industries and operational models. Whether we’ve dipped our toes or fully plunged in, there’s a good chance we’ve encountered DevOps—or whatever label we slapped on it. In the realm of project delivery, Agile and DevOps have been like two peas in a pod, though not without their share of drama. Ever heard Agile being called "Fragile"? Despite the chuckles, it’s undeniable that these models have taken us on quite the journey, with their fair share of wins and facepalms.

Now, on the grand chessboard of innovation, some companies are sprinting ahead, eager to embrace every shiny new tech that comes their way. Others, perhaps more like the cautious chess player, move deliberately, learning from the trailblazers' triumphs and, let's be honest, their spectacular wipeouts. This approach has its merits, offering a smoother ride towards adoption with fewer bruises along the way. But lag too far behind, and it’s not just bumps you’ll face; you might just become the butt of industry jokes. No one wants to be that organization—not even the most monolithic government agency.

So, let’s circle back to DevOps. If your image of DevOps is stuck in the past, thinking it's just about Devs and Ops holding hands and skipping through fields of code, it's time for a reality check. Yes, that’s where it started, but oh, how it’s evolved! The landscape, especially with cloud transformation, has shifted. And let’s face it, the traditional Dev + Ops setup doesn’t quite cut it anymore.

Many organizations have found their DevOps dreams not living up to the hype—collaboration feels forced, and speed and effectiveness aren’t hitting the mark. Why? Oh, where to start... Cultural inertia, mismatched delivery modes, siloed responsibilities, resistance to stepping out of comfort zones, and the Herculean task of scaling resources in a complex environment. Sounds familiar? But hey, we’ve all been there. The question now is, what’s the next chapter?

Cue my lightbulb moment! After sifting through chatter and industry reports (shoutout to Gartner), I stumbled upon "Platform Engineering". Not gonna lie, it wasn’t a total surprise, but diving deeper was truly eye-opening. At its core, Platform Engineering is about supercharging DevOps principles, transforming collaborative efforts into service offerings that actually scale. Think of it as building kickass products where innovation shines because it genuinely adds value.

So, why hop on the Platform Engineering bandwagon? Here are a few nuggets to chew on:

Platform as a Service (PaaS): It’s user-friendly, slashes maintenance headaches, solves real problems, and offers flexibility to boot.

But I get it, "platform" can be a bit of a buzzword headache. With everything and the kitchen sink being offered "as-a-service" these days, the real challenge is navigating this jungle in a way that’s cost-effective, secure, and agile enough to keep up with business demands. No magic solutions here, but Platform Engineering might just be the compass we need.

I’m all in on this exploration and plan to share my journey through a series of deep dives:

• The initial bumps on the DevOps road
• Tying the knot between DevOps and Platform Engineering
• Navigating the "as-a-service" landscape towards Platform Engineering
• Rolling up your sleeves to craft a Platform Engineering blueprint
• Kickstarting your transition to a Platform Engineering model
• Embracing feedback for a brighter Platform Engineering future

Curious? Keen to share your own saga or thoughts? I’d love to connect! Let’s swap stories and keep the conversation going.

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