I'm speaking promo for KubeCon
It is a privilege to be able to share the stage with @juliafmorgado.bsky.social this fall at #KubeCon #CloudNativeCon Atlanta 🍑!
We'll be discussing: "Making Platform Engineering Accessible: From Newcomer To Power User"
Join us! sched.co/27FYw
#OpenSource @cncf.io @linuxfoundation.org
For my unlimited PTO folks, how often do you actually take time off?
I’ve noticed a lot of us are weirdly bad at using time off when there’s no number attached to it😅
T-shirt wisdom: Why not now?
Who owns that S3 bill?
Who gets paged at 2am when us-east-1 melts down?
Who actually has the access to fix it?
Who gets blamed when deployments go sideways?
Who gets celebrated when things go right?
Let’s stop glamorizing the tools and start empowering the teams using them 👏
Privacy is weirdly abstract when you’re building.
It’s easy to forget that behind the data is a person.
Not a row in a table or a payload.
Tools don't say: “You don’t need to collect this birthdate”
The problem is: privacy issues rarely look like bugs.
They look like… nothing.
Do you leave the lights on when you leave the house? Or the AC?
Didn’t think so.
But in cloud? We do it all the time.
Things sit idle.
Resources drift.
Bills grow.
There’s got to be a better way.
Anyone out there actually doing this well? I’d love to hear how.
Who's going to the AWS Summit in NYC next week???
AI isn’t coming for your job
It is coming for the 40% that’s repetitive and overdue for automation
What’s left is the part that’s deeply human like decision-making, storytelling and collaboration
The future of work isn't less human; it’s more strategic, creative, and connected
Platform Engineering ≠ DevOps
DevOps is the why & what: a culture for faster software delivery.
Platform Engineering is the how: building an internal product (a platform) that enables the DevOps vision at scale, reducing dev toil and boosting productivity.
One's a mindset, the other's a solution.
Kubernetes won't "fix" your architecture.
What it will do is expose:
– every fragile process
– every broken handoff
– every unspoken assumption about how your team actually ships software.
Kubernetes doesn’t fix broken culture.
It just shows you where it’s leaking fastest.
Tech is the easiest industry to learn.
Tech is the hardest industry to enter.
Am I the only one who feels this?
Someone out there is facing the same challenges you are.
They’re looking for your story.
Your voice.
Your perspective.
So share it.
Put yourself out there.
Be seen.
Personal branding feels uncomfortable.
Do it anyway.
Because your experience might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
That one legacy server you’re scared to shut down is costing you:
$15k/year in maintenance
100+ hours of dev time
Security risks from an outdated OS
30-Day Challenge:
1️⃣ Containerize 1 legacy app (use Docker)
2️⃣ Test 1 serverless workflow (AWS Step Functions)
3️⃣ Delete 1 server
The board doesn’t care about your Kubernetes clusters.
They care about how tech drives:
1️⃣ Customer retention: Faster bug fixes = happier users
2️⃣ Upsell opportunities: AI features = premium tiers
3️⃣ Market dominance: Launch before competitors
Your new KPI: Revenue enabled by cloud-native tech.
Knowledge is not power.
Knowledge won't differentiate you from the people around you.
It is how you use that knowledge that will. All the courses, books, videos, and posts in the world won’t work until you put your knowledge into action.
Knowledge x Action = Power
So, technical leaders:
1️⃣ Pick one day a week.
2️⃣ Write one post or comment.
3️⃣ Repeat for one month.
You’ll be amazed at how your network responds.
Start small. Stay consistent. And watch your influence grow.
What’s holding you back from building your personal brand?
Why this works:
✅ Small, consistent actions build visibility.
✅ You’ll go from “just another expert” to “the go-to voice” in your space.
✅ And you’ll keep it manageable with your packed schedule.
👇
The simplest first step? Write once a week.
(It could even be a single comment on someone else’s post.)
Imagine this:
Share a lesson from a recent project.
Add your perspective to breaking industry news.
Offer advice you’d give to your younger self.
👇
What if I told you that building your personal brand is simpler than you think?
❌ You don’t need to spend hours crafting social media posts.
❌ You don’t need to master every platform.
❌ You don’t need to be an extrovert to get started.
👇
Tech isn’t a cost center, it’s a profit engine.
If you aren't:
1️⃣ Optimizing cloud costs to fuel growth
2️⃣ Delivering innovation that drives new revenue streams
3️⃣ Aligning tech with business goals to maximize ROI
...you’re holding your business back.
Here's why your cloud is leaking money:
Overprovisioned "just in case" resources
Legacy code running 24/7
Complexity that hides costs
Fix it
1️⃣ Run a "right-sizing sprint" (use AWS Cost Explorer/Kubecost)
2️⃣ Automate non-prod shutdowns (nights/weekends)
3️⃣ Adopt FinOps
I know but it would be great to see you there!
Thank you!! See you there?
Presentations rarely go exactly as planned.
The key is authenticity & adaptability.
💡 Focus on your message
💡 Connect with your audience
💡 Embrace the unexpected
A great presentation isn’t about flawless delivery.
Hahhaa never thought about that, thanks for the tip!
I had already made peace with not speaking at #KubeCon EU 2025, but then I received the news that two of my talks were accepted for the colocated events!
🎤 Streamline Your App Development With Cloud Native Tools
🎤 Kubernetes Resiliency at the Edge
colocatedeventseu2025.sched.com?searchstring...
UGHHHHH
This password does not meet the length, complexity, age, or history requirements of your corporate password policy.
🫠🫠
I know! I wouldn't be able to work with a desktop like that!
How often do you go back to your notes, saved tabs, or bookmarked posts?
I’m trying to build a habit of looking through things before saving them and setting aside a day each week to review what I’ve saved.
It’s helping me be more intentional and less overwhelmed.
KCD NY 2025 is coming on June 4th!
🎟️ Tickets are live! Early bird pricing ends Feb 28th or while they last.
💡 If you've got a story to share submit your talk, the CFP is still open!
👉 Details, tickets & CFP: community.cncf.io/events/detai...
I’ll be joining Andrew Brown's Free GenAI Bootcamp as a guest instructor!!
Learn with me (+ other incredible instructors) starting February 1st!
Sign up here: genai.cloudprojectbootcamp.com
Watch "GenAI Essentials Full Course for Beginners" to get warmed up www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ25...
