Adventures in DevOps – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of DevOps 238, we sat down with Zach Lloyd to dive into what’s really happening in the world of modern DevOps—from automation and AI to scaling systems and maintaining team culture in fast-paced environments.

We talked about the evolving role of DevOps engineers, the shift toward platform engineering, and why tool sprawl is becoming a bigger issue than ever. Zach shared some powerful real-world lessons on implementing CI/CD pipelines, avoiding burnout in high-pressure environments, and how teams can stay aligned without drowning in Slack notifications or endless dashboards.

One of our favorite takeaways? The idea that simplicity and communication still beat out fancy tooling—every time. We also touched on emerging trends like AI-assisted deployments, observability, and what DevOps might look like in 2026 and beyond.

If you’re navigating legacy systems, scaling rapidly, or just trying to keep your team sane and productive, this episode’s packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

• Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book)
• Dabble of DevOps AI Data Discovery Tool
• The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking (Research Paper)
• Granola AI Meeting Notes
• A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages (Book)

We dive into the world of cloud architecture and engineering with a fascinating discussion led by our hosts Warren Parad and Will Button, and joined by our special guest, Matt Lea. Matt, hailing from Wisconsin, is the driving force behind innovative projects like CloudWarGames.com, a platform designed to enhance DevOps training and hiring through engaging problem-solving scenarios. As we explore his journey, from coaching gymnastics to developing digital training ecosystems, you'll discover how Matt's experiences shape his unique perspectives on technical challenges, team dynamics, and the ever-evolving landscape of cloud solutions. Whether you're curious about the technical intricacies of infrastructure or seeking inspiration for your own career path, this episode offers a captivating look at the intersection of technology, creativity, and human connections. So, sit back, relax, and get ready to explore the world of DevOps in a whole new way.

Shimon Tolts is the CEO datree.io. Shimon talks the panel through an outage he experienced while working for a previous employer. He breaks down the situation and the explains the types of misconfiguration that caused his outage and how these things can cause problems in other applications as well.

Links

• datree.io
• Twitter: Shimon Tolts ( @shimontolts )

Picks

• Charles- Willow
• Charles- Traeger Grills
• Jeffrey- How to be most efficient in learning something new
• Jeffrey- Don't fall into the trap of just buying cheap products
• Shimon- daily.dev | All-in-one developer news reader
• Will- The Manual: A Philosopher's Guide to Life

Supply chain security, a subset of supply chain management, is concerned with the risk management of third-party vendors, suppliers, logistics, and transportation.
Stephen Chin is the Head of Developer Relations at JFROG. He is also a Speaker and the Author of DevOps Tools for Java Developers. Stephen joins Chuck for this bonus episode to talk about Supply Chain Security and Pyrsia.io. He begins by sharing some instances of how attackers are able to access different companies’ assets, software, systems, and others. 

Additionally, Stephen offers solutions on how to prevent or eliminate those attacks. Pyrsia.io is a solution that secures open-source builds and distribution with the goal of securing the software supply chain of open-source dependencies. 

Links

• Pyrsia.io
• DevOps Tools for Java Developers
• GitHub: steveonjava
• steveonjava
• Twitter: @steveonjava

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Join Chuck Wood as he hosts the DevOps episode this week to do an interview with one of the SwampUp speakers. SwampUp is an in-person DevOps event organized by JFrog. Fernando Babadopulos is an Eternal software developer, serial entrepreneur, and speaker. He is also the Co-Founder at the tail.digital. He talks about a plugin that they developed, how it works and how developers can benefit from it. 
About this Episode

• All about JFrog's X-ray Integration
• How the plugin resolves system issues
• Process of creating a plugin

For the second part of this episode, Chuck Wood interviews other SwampUp speakers. Eli Aleyner and Sergei Egorov are both the Co-founders of AtomicJar. The goal of AtomicJar is to create developer-friendly tools that will improve automated testing.  

About This Episode

• The basics of Integration Testing
• All about Test Containers
• Test containers' benefit to developers

Sponsors

• Chuck's Resume Template
• Developer Book Club starting with Clean Architecture by Robert C. Martin
• Become a Top 1% Dev with a Top End Devs Membership

Links

• jfrog/frogbot
• swampUP 2022 DevOps City Tour
• Twitter: @jfrog
• Twitter: @babadopulos
• AtomicJar
• Testcontainers
• Testcontainers cloud
• Testcontainers for Java
• Twitter: @ealeyner
• Twitter: @bsideup

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As a Developer, How do you manage the users that can access the system? Jonathan and Will share some pointers and approaches on how you can protect your system or account from being accessed by multiple or anonymous users. 

About this Episode

• Different Infrastructure as code tools 
• Ways how to manage group permission
• Advantages of Single Sign-on
• 2 Factor Authentication

Sponsors

• "Architect, who helps manage environments."
• Chuck's Resume Template
• Developer Book Club starting with Clean Architecture by Robert C. Martin
• Become a Top 1% Dev with a Top End Devs Membership

Picks

• Jonathan -Watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Season 1
• Jonathan - Finite and Infinite Games
• Will - asana
• Will - Bearmax Massage Gun

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  Get the Black Friday/Cyber Monday "Focus Blocks Bundle" Deal Coupon Code: "THRIVE" for a GIANT discount   Are you looking at all the layoffs and uncertainty going on and wondering if your company is the next to cut back?  Or, maybe you're a freelancer or entrepreneur who is trying to figure out how to deliver more value to gain or retain customers?  Mani Vaya joins Charles Max Wood to discuss the one thing that both of them use to more than double their productivity on a daily basis.  Mani has read 1,000's of productivity books over the last several years and has formulated a methodology for getting more done, but found that he lacked the discipline to follow through on his plans.  The he found the one thing that kept him on track and made him so productive that he is now getting all of his work done and was able to live the life he wants.  Chuck also weighs in on how Mani's technique has worked for him and allows him to spend more time with his wife and kids, run a podcast network, and a nearly full time contract.  Join the episode to learn how Chuck and Mani get into a regular flow state with their work and consistently deliver at work. 

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Getting your ideas across can be difficult for a new person on the job or even a seasoned professional. Join in as the panel tackles different strategies for communicating ideas and “How to get your way”. They also share their experiences on how to handle the team when they encounter problems.
About this Episode

• Ways how to communicate with your team when you have different ideas
• Techniques on how to influence your team

Sponsors

• "Plutora, who helps with value stream mapping."
• Chuck's Resume Template
• Developer Book Club starting with Clean Architecture by Robert C. Martin
• Become a Top 1% Dev with a Top End Devs Membership

Links

• Never Split the Difference

Picks

• Jillian - Graphic Audio
• Jonathan - Driving Technical Change
• Will - Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual 

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When you’re working on the web, there will also be a high chance for you to experience hacking. Jillian and Will talk about third-party data providers and discuss the reason why you might get hacked when using these providers. 
About this Episode

• What is a Third-Party SAAS Application
• Different ways how to protect yourself from the third-party data applications
• How to protect your data from getting breached 

 Sponsors

• Chuck's Resume Template
• Developer Book Club starting with Clean Architecture by Robert C. Martin
• Become a Top 1% Dev with a Top End Devs Membership

Picks

• Jillian - Standing Desks 
• Will - LOOBANI Dog Paw Protector

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 Each learner uses different methods in order to obtain a certain knowledge or skill. In this episode, Jonathan and Jillian relate to the listeners as they share their techniques and strategies when learning new things. They also tackle about the variety of mediums they use, different online learning platforms, and getting certifications and taking online courses.
Sponsors

• Top End Devs
• Coaching | Top End Devs

Picks

• Jillian- His Dark Materials | Official Website for the HBO Series
• Jonathan - Commitment: Novel about Managing Project Risk
• Jonathan - Star Trek: Lower Decks (TV Series 2020– ) - IMDb

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