Counterintuitively, Adding Capacity doesn’t Help
When the rational and logical path has unintended consequences, and what to do about it.
Recent Posts
Cross-functional Teams are NOT for PE Portcos
The appeal of cross-functional teams is seductive. Always shipping, no more waiting. Knowledge spreads. Now we just need to find someone to pay for it… Good luck.
Respect for Production
Respect for production is not about intention or diligence. It’s knowing exactly what is servicing our customers.
Who’s in charge of your infrastructure? You or the computer?
Don’t ask the computer to change for you. To move quickly and safely, declare your intentions.
Hey, Let’s Embed an SRE in that Dev Team!
Get most of the benefit of a fully staffed team for a fraction of the cost? Looks great on paper.
Maintenance like an airplane, not a car
If maintenance is not part of the lifecycle, it’s repeated project work, and deadly for velocity.
GenAI Copilots Exacerbate Problems
Copilots can locally optimize the system, making everything worse in the process.
The Problem with Maintenance Windows and Change Freezes
It seemed like a good idea in 2001, it wasn’t. It’s an anti-pattern for stability.