Technology is fast moving, and devops tools pop up like wildfire. Teams are desperate to solve their problems & often make implementation decisions based on word of mouth, “kick the tires” syndrome or superficial evaluations. In some cases we justify our stack decisions based on project/sprint deadlines, the product’s marketing materials, occasionally, the README files. Really scary stuff!

In this talk I’ll explore how & why teams are easily lulled into believing that shiny objects will independently solve their stack deficiencies. I’ll discuss my experiences with “Shiny Object” frameworks/tools and the true impact they had in actually solving problems. I’ll also discuss some strategies that can help teams make better choices when properly vetting potential solutions based on my experience in the federal government evaluating vendor proposals and homegrown solutions, as the sole DevOps engineer at a startup and other technical teams throughout my career.

Angel started his career as an US Air Force Space Systems Operations specialist in Cape Canaveral AF Station where he realized his passion for technology and software development. He has extensive