Debugging and running into issues are part of every Software Developer. When we work with infrastructure, a small mistake can lead to a production outage. In complex systems, we can’t foresee all causal relationships between different components, and we can’t prevent running into failure. Almost every company agrees that blaming is not helpful when investigating an incident. The concept of creating a blameless culture is not new, but also can’t be taken for granted. DevOops aims to actively practice a blameless culture by talking about failures.
DevOops is a MeetUp series that we started last year in Amsterdam. During a MeetUp, speakers share failures when working with IT infrastructure. DevOops aims to provide a safe place to talk and share those Oops moments. The meetup is different because it does not focus on achievements but especially sheds light on failure stories. Of course, we learn from incidents, but the core of the MeetUp is to connect and normalize talking about failures. Additionally, when we already have action-packed agendas and days, we want to create an evening event to connect and learn in a fun way. And what is better than sharing a story of failure with fellow engineers with a beer or a Coke in your hand?
One-Year Celebration with a Mini Unconference
Last week marked the one-year celebration of the first DevOops user group in Amsterdam. To celebrate, we hosted a mini unconference in the Fiberplane office. Why Mini? The conference had the same length as a normal MeetUp but instead of talks, we ran 2 x 2 sessions in parallel and attendees could choose between two sessions.
There are different ways of running and organizing an unconference. We asked the attendees beforehand about topics they were interested in and opened a dot voting before the meetup. Based on the dot voting, we picked the 4 most popular sessions and looked for people willing to lead the sessions. There is no strict schedule for how a session should be structured. The most important part is that attendees should be able to contribute to the discussion. Facilitating a session can include an input presentation, whiteboard brainstorming, and dot voting, …
Our DevOops conference had four interesting sessions about post-incident review documents, database incidents, worst on-call stories, and salary benchmarks. All leading to engaging discussions and perspectives from the audience. A big thanks to the session leaders who facilitated those discussions and made sure to include the attendees’ opinions and voices!
Speakers, Sponsors, Organizers, and you
As we reflect on the impact of DevOops from the past year, we extend our deepest appreciation to our speakers, sponsors, and user group organizers for their invaluable contributions. Your support has not only made DevOops a success but also sparked some fantastic partnerships and collaborations. Together, we’ve created a space where failures are celebrated, learning is embraced, and inclusivity is championed. Check out the amazing DevOops network and see if a user group is close to you. If not but you’d like to bring it to your city, feel free to reach out. We are happy to help you get started with DevOops in your city. Here’s to many more years of oops moments, shared stories, and a hopeful growing community.