The document emphasizes the importance of addressing cultural issues over merely relying on tools in DevOps practices. It highlights that 90% of DevOps failures stem from cultural problems, and effective DevOps requires understanding and improving the underlying culture. Recommendations include empowering team members, fostering trust, and shifting away from siloed structures.

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A Fool With A Tool
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AgileWorks
Tim Guay, Agile Coach and Trainer
•Sits on the ICAgile DevOps Track Certification Committee
•Sits on the ICAgile DevOps Expert Candidate Assessment Panel
•Clients include; JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Accenture, Cisco, Intuit,
Comcast, State of Washington, and the Royal Canadian Navy ( to
name a few).
•Etc…Etc…
tim@agileworksinc.com www.agileworksinc.com
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The Quote
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Objectives
Provide a broad understanding of;
The dangers of over-focusing on tools as opposed to
culture
Why organizations and people do that
How our tools assume an underlying culture
Dealing with the over-focus on tools
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Number 1 DevOps Antipattern
90% of DevOps Failures are due to
cultual issues
Tools will not solve you cultural
Problems, only bring them to light
Sadder is that many companies call
mediocrity a victory
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Dangers of a Tool Focus
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Titanic’s Radio Room
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Dangers of a Tool Focus
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What do you think the dangers
of overfocusing on DevOps
tools at the expense of culture
would be?
Why do we focus on tools and ignore
culture?
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CI Cultural Assumptions
What does Continuous Integration mean?
What does that imply?
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CIoud Cultural Assumptions
What does a cloud allow you to do?
What does that imply?
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Continuous Delivery Cultural Assumptions
What does CD allow you to do?
What does that imply?
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Cultural Goals
Everyone understands the
cultural assumptions of
the tools
Everyone know that the
wrong culture will cripple
the best toolchain
And has the guts to do
something about it
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What makes a good DevOps Culture
Empowered team members
Shift-left
No silos
Cross-trained team members
Correct behavior incented
Trust
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Then What!
Determine what the cultural and
process assumptions are for your
toolchain
Determine where your culture clashes
with the above assumptions
Answer the WIIFM for the cultural
changes required
Change one dysfunctional behavior or
process at a time
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