Developer Experience is central to DevOps success
A presentation at DEVNEXUS in in Atlanta, GA, USA by Jeremy Meiss
Developer Experience… Central to DevOps Success
“DevEx - that’s more about the frontend user experience, right?”
DevEx is more than your parent’s software development lifecycle
Jeremy Meiss Co-Founder, DevEx Consultant DevEx Institute https://DevEx.Institute
So what is DevEx?
So what is DevEx? DevEx encompasses the journey of developers as they learn and deploy technology. When successful, it focuses on eliminating obstacles that hinder a developer or practitioner from achieving success in their endeavors.
DevEx is about more than the traditional UI/UX focus
The evolution of the IDE Before the 1990s REF: O’Reilly “Learning the vi and Vim Editors”
The evolution of the IDE Before the 1990s
The evolution of the IDE Before the 1990s
The evolution of the IDE Before the 1990s REF: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/182074
The evolution of the IDE Before the 1990s “…the use of an IDE was not well received by developers since it would fence in their creativity.” REF: Computerwoche (“Computer Week”, German counterpart of American magazine Computer World), 1995.
The evolution of the IDE Before the 1990s
The evolution of the IDE The Web and the 1990s
The evolution of the IDE The Web and the 1990s
The evolution of the IDE Cross-platform and the 1990s
The evolution of the IDE Early iterations (Late 1990s to Early 2000s) Macromedia Dreamweaver in late 1997 (what was it called before?) Visual Studio in late 1997 FrontPage 2000 in 1999 Netbeans in 2000 Eclipse in 2001 (IBM kickstarted)
The evolution of the IDE Feature & Usability Advancements Mid-2000s to 2010s IntelliJ IDEA Eclipse Visual Studio
The evolution of the IDE Lightweight and Cloud-Based 2010s to Now Sublime Text, Atom, VSCode (lightweight) AWS Cloud9, GitHub Codespaces, Gitpod (cloud-based)
IDEs are a result of DevEx Things we never knew we needed… Code completion Syntax highlighting Debugging VCS integration (no more FTPing files around) Multi-language support Framework integration Pair programming
DevEx is a Key Differentiator Critical differentiator for attracting & retaining top talent Ensures high levels of team performance and product quality More engaged and productive development team Demonstrated commitment to DevEx enhances brand reputation + CSAT Directly impacts bottom line by enabling quicker time to market
Dev Environment Setup Manual configuration Late 1990s to Early 2000s
Dev Environment Setup Manual configuration Late 1990s to Early 2000s
Dev Environment Setup Manual configuration Late 1990s to Early 2000s
Dev Environment Setup Config Mgmt & Containerization Mid-2000s to 2010s
Dev Environment Setup IaC and DevOps Integration 2010s to Present
Broader Impact of DevEx Deployment Pipelines Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Practices Developer Efficiencies
Good DevEx == Good DevOps Facilitates smoother transitions between Dev and Ops Minimizes bottlenecks with enhanced collaboration Ensures feedback loops are efficient and productive Enables DevOps principles to take hold within an organization
What is DevOps? the combination of practices and tools designed to increase an organization’s ability to deliver applications and services faster than traditional software development processes
Core DevOps Principles Collaboration
Core DevOps Principles Collaboration Communication
Core DevOps Principles Collaboration Communication Shared Responsibility
DevEx & DevOps Alignment Enhanced collaboration via tools and processes
DevEx & DevOps Alignment Enhanced collaboration via tools and processes Improving communication via streamlined info sharing and feedback
DevEx & DevOps Alignment Enhanced collaboration via tools and processes Improving communication via streamlined info sharing and feedback Shared responsibility by empowering all teams with access and information
DevEx and DevOps are One
The rise of Platform Engineering Creation of specific, integrated environments that devs need Abstract away complexities of infrastructure & backend services Ensure devs have access to robust, scalable, easy-to-use platforms Streamline development processes and reduce setup time
Self-Service Platforms Empower developers to control their needs with necessary tools Leverage automation, templates, policies with agility Accelerate development, enhance productivity, and foster autonomy and innovation
Better Practices Empower with the right tools
Better Practices Empower with the right tools Encourage Cross-functional Teams
Better Practices Empower with the right tools Encourage Cross-functional Teams Implement Feedback Loops
Better Practices Empower with the right tools Encourage Cross-functional Teams Implement Feedback Loops Focus on Automation
Better Practices Empower with the right tools Encourage Cross-functional Teams Implement Feedback Loops Focus on Automation Invest in Training and Development
DevEx Impact Productivity Streamlined Development Environments
DevEx Impact Productivity Streamlined Development Environments Integrated and Automated Toolchains
DevEx Impact Productivity Streamlined Development Environments Integrated and Automated Toolchains Efficient Collaboration Platforms
DevEx Impact Morale Autonomy and Empowerment
DevEx Impact Morale Autonomy and Empowerment Recognition and Achievement
DevEx Impact Morale Autonomy and Empowerment Recognition and Achievement Reduced Frustration and Burnout
DevEx Impact Morale Autonomy and Empowerment Recognition and Achievement Reduced Frustration and Burnout Learning and Growth Opportunities
DevEx reflects an organizations values Jeremy’s @ #OSSNA @IAmJerdog · Follow If your company does not already have a process for gathering feedback (internal & external) on your product and/or the tools you use, you will not have a good Developer Experience, and I seriously question your commitment to it. 10:57 AM · Jan 25, 2024 26 Reply Copy link Read more on X
Final Thoughts Future is bright
Things to think about Integration of AI and ML Automated Code Generation and Review Predictive Analytics in DevOps
Things to think about Focus on Developer Well-Being Flexible working arrangements Tools that reduce frustration and burnout A culture that values learning and growth
Things to think about Continuous Learning & Skill Development Investments in programs to help teams keep up with new tools, practices, tech
DevEx is… “ruthlessly eliminating barriers (and blockers) that keep your developers from being successful”
Thank You. /in/jeremymeiss @IAmJerdog @jerdog @jerdog@hachyderm.io
Developer Experience (DevEx) is not just describing the “frontend” experience - it’s about every aspect of the experience your developers (internal and external) have with your product, tooling, systems, etc. Platform engineering has emerged as this general way to remove developer toil, but DevEx is more than that, encompassing everything from deployment pipelines to IaC practices to developer efficiencies and productivity to UI/UX to even APIs. In this talk, we will focus on some of the principles of DevOps (collaboration, communication, shared responsibility) and how a strong DevEx mindset can bring Dev and Ops together.
Resources
The following resources were mentioned during the presentation or are useful additional information.
-
HP Journal, Vol 41, Num 3, June 1990
HP Journal from Jun 1990, which mentions HP SoftBench (starting on page 36) and how it will revolutionize software development.
Buzz and feedback
Here’s what was said about this presentation on social media.
