We tried GitOps to enable developers to onboard to the Kubernetes platform in a self-service approach, and we failed. In this session, we will see why we failed initially by adopting the GitOps approach and the challenges we encountered that led us to change our approach. We will see details of our requirements, why we initially chose the GitOps Approach, and the lessons we learned. We will see a detailed exploration of the technical aspects of our more flexible approach to self-service.

This presentation is about a real-world failure. It addresses the real-world experiences and lessons learned, offering insights and details of considering different approaches. By sharing our story, I aim to contribute to the community’s understanding of the diverse solutions available and inspire others to adapt strategies that align with their unique needs.

This session will include architecture diagrams about the failed approach to our new approach, code examples, and tools. I will dive deep into how we approach embracing flexibility while keeping our platform secure and cost-effective.

Fagani is an Engineering Manager at DataRobot and leads the Kubernetes platform engineering team. He is a software craftsman and believes in professional software development by practicing it and