Category: Opinion

Sometimes we like to let off a little steam and just express how we feel about a certain aspect of SRE or software engineering more broadly ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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    Reaffirming the value of SREs amid ongoing tech layoffs

    I’ve been curious about the prospects for Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) as companies scale back headcount across the board. This opinion piece will unpack the pressing issue. Many experts predict an ongoing downturn in the tech job market that could last for the next 3-5 years. An unfortunate turn for many employed in the tech…

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    Is platform engineering at risk of shiny object syndrome?

    So much has been debated lately about the emergence of “Platform Engineering” as a solution to software operations problems. It’s an interesting proposition. However, it is not your silver bullet that will fix all things one felt didn’t work out with Dev versus Ops, DevOps, or SRE. We are missing something very important in our…

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    Renaming “post-mortems” of software outages for psychological safety

    As a generative leader and mental health advocate, I am wary of seeing such a morbid term being thrown around for what should be a learning experience that advances culture. This post will differ from my usual positive posts about Site Reliability Engineering (SRE). Please bear with this because I’m an otherwise forward thinker. Two…

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    Why Agile software teams need SRE support

    Agile software delivery is de rigeur of modern software. However, as complexity increases, there’s a high risk of frequent, high-velocity breaking software-in-production. Software-in-production is when the software is accessible by users. That’s where Site Reliability Engineers (SRE) can come to support the Agile software team’s efforts. Who are Site Reliability Engineers? Site Reliability Engineers (SREs)…

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    Review of Google’s Site Reliability Engineering Hierarchy

    Google’s book on SRE, Site Reliability Engineering (2016), has captured wide acclaim in the software operations world. One of the most discussed aspects in SRE circles about the book is its SRE hierarchy. The hierarchy has merit, but it’s also flawed in a way that would prevent you from educating people about SRE. I’ll get…

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    Site Reliability Engineering Culture Patterns

    Who should read this: Introduction Despite its now antiquated sounding name, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) as a discipline has strong future promise to proactively improve software reliability in production. As software complexity continues to increase, so will the need for better and better practice of SRE. It is undoubtedly an exciting but enigmatic field, with…

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    SRE is not a monolithic role

    SRE is gaining more traction and a misconception is gaining steam among senior stakeholders. That SRE is a monolith role like what “programmers” were in the 90s. Let’s burst that misconception… SRE is a broad, overarching responsibility that needs a multitude of role considerations to pull off properly. It is not a monolithic role where…

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    How SREs are unique in their approach to work

    Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) are a rare bunch in the software community. But there’s little denying that the approach of Site Reliability Engineering is the future of software operations. Here are some things that make SREs a unique breed in software work: SREs look at the broader picture Ask any developer what they’re working on…