Your eco business was already running on a dream and a prayer. How can you make it sustainable and profitable with devops?
Software development is an industry that’s been inundated by a wave of changes and challenging demands over the past several years. And to match the market’s demands, organizations are adopting new practices and processes to ensure efficient software delivery. One such model is DevOps.
Chances are you’ve heard about professionals in the tech community talk about DevOps and how it has become one of the biggest IT trends in recent years. The truth is that DevOps has had a tremendous impact on the world of software. If you’re new to DevOps or are a developer looking to transition into the DevOps model, you may feel confused about where to start. When you’re starting a business from scratch, here’s a quick guide on everything you need to learn and know about DevOps.
What is DevOps?
The term “DevOps”— which combines two words “development” and “operations— is a process framework that bridges any divide between the development team and the IT operations department to encourage participation and collaboration between the two sides. Simply put, DevOps attempts to bring development and IT operations together into one group. And by so doing, both sides get to share and experience the responsibility, rewards, and “pain” of designing, building, deploying, monitoring, and generating revenue from the application or product.
The DevOps methodology at its core aims to streamline the software development process, speeding up the delivery of applications and services, and creating continuous value for customers. It not only establishes a process framework for communication and collaboration but also automates all the development processes, from design to deployment.
With that said, DevOps has become one of the most lucrative career options for professionals in the tech industry. If you’re looking to start a career in this field, you’re on the right track.
But how do you learn and succeed with DevOps in an environment that requires you to consistently meet the ever-changing customer needs and demands?
Start by Defining What Matters
You can’t measure your progress in learning DevOps or becoming a DevOps Engineer unless you define the purpose of your work. Testing new software systems or developing new applications might be what your organization requires you to do, but they can’t be the purpose of your work.
Purpose, in this case, refers to the reason behind what you do, and what your organization or employer values. This is where you need to start since everything else relies on it. If you’re not sure how your work relates to the organization’s vision and mission, consider asking your employer.
Keep Learning
Companies are increasingly looking to hire experienced IT professionals who are experts in DevOps. And since there’s a huge shortage of good talent in the software development industry, only professionals who have the right training and experience will meet the growing demand for DevOps experts. This means understanding the technology that helps streamline devops pipelines, knowing how to integrate into your current development infrastructure, and having an automation plan in place. There are tons of industry-recognized certifications that you can do to gain a base knowledge as you begin your journey into DevOps.
One of the key pillars of the DevOps methodology is continuous improvement. This means organizations must continuously evolve and adapt to changing circumstances to optimize cost, performance, and speed of delivery. And you’re no exception. So, by all means, if you want to succeed with DevOps, make sure you keep learning.
Communicate and Engage
If you’ve ever been part of a development project, you know how communication is important within a team. But that’s not possible if you don’t understand your team’s vision and goals. First, you need to engage with your team to understand what you’re working to achieve. Otherwise, you won’t be able to determine how your efforts are contributing to the business and to your own career. The best software systems are designed, deployed, and implemented when you work closely with others in a cross-functional team where everyone gives their input. You should communicate both internally within your team and externally with other teams.
Automate
As mentioned, DevOps involves unifying and automating processes. DevOps experts play a crucial role in combining code, application deployment, application management. To be involved in all these tasks, you must understand the software development life cycles as well as the DevOps culture and its practices and tools. Moreover, you need to create your own automated process to deploy applications faster and more reliably.
Don’t worry so much about the exact tool or practice you need to use. Instead, focus your efforts on understanding why you need a specific tool. DevOps tools change with changing market trends but the concepts and skills are transferable. You want to make sure you can effectively build CI/CD pipelines, perform ad-hoc changes, and deliver value to customers in the shortest time possible.
Practice Real-World Skills
DevOps isn’t solely about practices and tools, as most professionals leverage their experience in the IT industry to continuously create value for customers. To gain the experience and holistic view needed to succeed with DevOps, you need to work closely with other professionals outside of your team and skill set.
Additionally, find real-life case studies and industry-quality projects that allow you to apply multiple skills to the challenges you will encounter in your career. Practicing real-world skills will help you adopt new technologies, embrace changing market trends, and meet customer needs.
