I am excited to share that I will be speaking at this year’s Open Source North conference on May 29, 2025, at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
This year, I’m teaming up with my fellow Jamf, Levi McCormick (Director of Engineering at Jamf), for a session that is very close to our daily reality: Multi-Cloud Without the Marketing or Designing for Multi-Cloud Without Losing Your Mind.
Why this talk? In the cloud industry, “Multi-Cloud”, “Cloud Native”, and “Iac via Terraform” are often sold as magic pills for redundancy, cost savings, unifaction and more across clouds. But for the people actually building and maintaining these systems, it can often feel like a recipe for complexity and technical debt.
At Jamf, Levi and I work on our infrastructure efforts across AWS, Azure, and GCP. We’ve learned—sometimes the hard way—what works, what doesn’t, and where the “hype” version of cloud differs from the “production” version. We wanted to build a session that focuses on the practical:
How to design for portability without over-engineering.
Managing identity, networking, and security across different providers.
Avoiding the “lowest common denominator” trap.
Keeping your sanity while managing three different clouds.
Open Source North is a great local event to the MN Tech scene because of the high-caliber community and the focus on real-world engineering. Whether you are a cloud veteran or just starting to look at a second provider, we’d love to see you there.
The Details:
Conference: Open Source North 2025
Date: May 29, 2025
Location: University of St. Thomas (St. Paul Campus)
As devs, platform engineers, and DevOps practitioners, we all feel it: the pace of change is relentless. New tools, new architectures, new expectations, and AI. It can be hard to separate where to invest our time from hype.
That’s exactly why I want decided to write this post about the2025 Docker State of Application Development Report from Docker.
This report is not marketing fluff. It’s based on insights from over 4,500 developers and engineering professionals and offers a grounded snapshot of how application development is actually evolving today.
Although published in 2025, this report covers long-running trends that continue to shape modern application development. Areas like containerized workflows, cloud-based development environments, AI-assisted tooling, and shared responsibility for security evolve over time rather than changing overnight.
Referencing the 2025 report ahead of the 2026 release provides valuable context. It establishes a baseline for understanding where the industry is coming from, which patterns are proving durable, and which challenges continue to persist. I’ll be looking out for the 2026 report. If you havent checked it out the 2025 report yet you should.
As a Docker Captain, I strongly encourage you to read the full report. But first, here are some of the key takeaways that stood out to me:
Remote-First Development Is Becoming the New Normal
One of the biggest shifts in 2025 is how developers are working:
64% of developers now use non-local development environments as their primary setup
Only 36% rely primarily on local machines
That’s a significant change from previous years, and it speaks to the reality that cloud-based workflows, remote dev environments, and tools that unify development environments are now mainstream. This shift isn’t just a trend — it’s redefining how teams collaborate and deliver software efficiently.
Developer Productivity Still Faces Friction Points
The report highlights that, despite improvements in tooling and culture, many teams still experience bottlenecks in everyday work:
Pull requests stuck in review
Tasks without clear estimates
Slowdowns in the “inner development loop”
Even with great culture and tooling, friction still exists, especially around planning and execution. Knowing where dev productivity stalls helps us focus improvements where they matter most.
Learning Is Shifting to Self-Guided, Online Resources
Developers are reinventing how they learn:
85% of respondents use online courses or certifications
Traditional sources like books or on-the-job training are less dominant
This highlights a bigger trend in continuous learning and self-driven skill development — especially important as the pace of change in languages, platforms, and architectures continues to accelerate.
AI Adoption Is Real, But Not Uniform
AI continues to influence how software is built, but adoption is still uneven:
Some teams are deeply integrating AI tools
Others are more cautious or selective
The report frames AI as an enabler, not a magic bullet. Developers are using AI to assist with documentation, research, and repetitive tasks, but real productivity gains depend on meaningful integration into workflows and data quality.
Security Is a True Team Effort
Security is no longer siloed:
Teams of all sizes report that developers, leads, and operations are involved in security
Only a small fraction of organizations outsource security entirely
The idea that “security is someone else’s job” is gone — fixing vulnerabilities and embedding security thinking into the development lifecycle is now a collective responsibility.
What This All Means for Developers
Taken together, these findings show a software landscape that’s:
More distributed and cloud-native
More self-taught and adaptable
More collaborative around security
Still facing persistent productivity barriers
These trends have real implications for how we build teams, invest in tooling, and think about developer experience.
Go Read the Full Report
The 2025 Docker State of Application Development Report is packed with additional insights, data, and analysis. Whether you’re a developer curious about AI adoption, a manager thinking about remote workflows, or a team lead prioritizing security practices, there’s something in this report for you.
I’m excited to share that I recently sat down again with former colleuage at Microsoft Kevin Evans on the “Code to Cloud” podcast for a conversation titled “AI, Cloud, and Career Resilience.” It has been a couple of years since I was on as a guest on his podcast. This discussion was super fun and goes all over the place from personal finance (Dave Ramsey we are coming for the top spot!), leaving tech to farm, to the recent layoffs at Microsoft, what AI means for all of us, and more.
You can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full episode on YouTube.
In this post, I wanted to share some of the highlights, key takeaways, and a few behind-the-scenes thoughts from recording.
On the podcast, Kevin and I dug into several topics, especially in today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape. Some of the themes we touched on are:
Leadership & owning your narrative I shared lessons I’ve learned in leadership like how to set vision, how to manage through change, and how leaders can help their teams navigate ambiguity. We also talked about taking control of your narrative rather than letting circumstances or others define it for you.
My journey in tech We walked through my career path over the years. The ups, the challenges, the moments of uncertainty. And I shared about recently being laid off from Microsoft, pivoting roles, and how those moments shaped and continue to shape my approach to owning my career.
Career resilience and mindset One of the things I emphasized is that resilience is not just bouncing back, it’s proactively preparing, adapting, and taking charge of your trajectory. We talked about strategies to stay relevant: continuous learning, building a network, personal branding, and leaning into uncertainty instead of resisting it.
AI + Cloud: Opportunities and disruption We explored how AI is weaving into cloud-native infrastructure and application stacks, and what that means for technologists. We also addressed how to stay grounded amidst hype and understanding what’s real, what’s emerging, and how to plug into it in a practical, impactful way.
Key Takeaways and Advice for You
If you are reading this, here are a few of the ideas I hope will stick with you:
Do not wait for perfect context. The ideal job or environment might not exist yet. Instead, start shaping it yourself. Build the skills, forge relationships, and create momentum where you are.
Be purposeful in how you show up. Your personal brand is not about vanity. It is a vector for opportunities, trust, and alignment. Share your journey, your thinking, your work, even when it feels vulnerable.
Stay curious with humility. In fields like AI and cloud, change is constant. Curiosity keeps you relevant and humility keeps you open to learning when you do not know the answer.
Focus on bridges, not walls. Whether you are navigating careers, organization changes, or technical disruption, build bridges between peers, between domains, and across teams. Avoid insulating yourself.
Your resilience is in your habits. It is not just how you react in a crisis. It is how you cultivate consistency, reflection, incremental growth, and adaptability.
Behind the Mic; A Few Reflections
Recording with Kevin is always fun. His questions push guests to think more deeply than just the “what happened” stories. It was gratifying to revisit earlier chapters in my career after recently being laid off and exploring themes like uncertainty, adaptation, and ownership recurred over time. I always find it special when conversations like these inspire me as much as I hope they inspire listeners and the host as well! Preparing, sharing, and telling stories helps us all get a little more confident in this unknown tech market.
If you have 45 to 60 minutes to spare, I encourage you to give the episode a listen! You will find not just stories from me but hopefully a few ideas or sparks you can take into your own path!
This is a shorter post, but I wanted to take a moment to share what I’ve been working on lately. Over the past few months I’ve been publishing a steady stream of blog posts on Pluralsight, covering topics across cloud, AI, JavaScript, and beyond. There’s a lot happening in tech right now, and I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with the Pluralsight team to dive into some of these exciting areas:
Check out an overview the blog posts and use the the following links to read more:
Behind the Buzzword: What is MCP (MCP Server)? A breakdown of MCP servers and why they matter in the evolving landscape of AI. 👉 Read the post
How to Run an LLM Locally on Your Desktop Exploring why and how you might want to run a large language model on your own machine, with a closer look at Docker Model Runner. 👉 Read the post
What to Emphasize on Your Resume as a Cloud Engineer Tips on showcasing the skills that make cloud engineers stand out in today’s job market. 👉 Read the post
Multicloud Mastery: How to Train Teams in AWS, Azure, and GCP Practical advice on enabling engineering teams to work across multiple clouds with confidence. 👉 Read the post
6 Cloud Cost Optimization Strategies and Tools for AWS, Azure, and GCP A set of proven strategies and tools to help control and reduce cloud spend. 👉 Read the post
How to Add User Authentication to Your JavaScript App A straightforward guide to securing your JavaScript applications with simple authentication techniques. 👉 Read the post
I’ll be continuing to publish more content in the months ahead, so stay tuned for future posts on cloud-native engineering, AI, and practical developer skills. If you found these articles useful, I’d love for you to check them out and share them with your network.
For those unfamiliar, Docker Captains are a group of handpicked technology leaders who are passionate about Docker and the broader container ecosystem. The program highlights community members who are not only technically sharp but also deeply committed to sharing their knowledge and supporting others in the community. I am honored to join this community of 163 captains globally and 34 in the US. This award is similar to the Microsoft MVP award. The award is annually based.
Being named a Docker Captain is a huge honor. This recognition means a lot to me especially because it’s not just about what you know, but how give back to the community and share with others. Whether it’s speaking at conferences, creating tutorials, helping others get started, or experimenting with the latest container tools, it’s about lifting the community up together!
What This Means
As a Docker Captain, I’ll have access to:
Private product briefings with Docker engineers and insiders.
Early previews of tools, templates, and content.
A private Slack group with other Captains around the world.
The opportunity to share what I create with a wider audience through Docker’s channels.
A chance to meet the Docker product groups and other Captains once a year.
And of course… exclusive Docker swag 😎.
They already sent some cool swag in the welcome package:
But above all, it’s about continuing to give back. I’ve always believed in sharing what I know and helping others level up in tech, and this just fuels that mission even more.
What’s Next
I’ll be using my blog and other platforms to
Publish more Docker and container content here.
Share real world use cases from the trenches.
Highlight new and lesser known tools in the Docker ecosystem (like Ask Gordon/Docker AI, which I recently blogged about).
Collaborate with the global Captain crew on exciting community initiatives.
Stay tuned for more. And if you’re just starting your Docker journey, or deep into production workloads, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s connect, collaborate, and continue building awesome things, one container at a time.
A special shout out to Shelley Benhoff and Eva Bojorges for helping with this with award and opportunity! Also thanks to Docker for the warm welcome and to everyone in the community who’s been part of this journey so far. 🚢
I’m thrilled to share that my latest book, The Modern Developer Experience (ISBN: 9781098169695), is now available on O’Reilly! 🎉It is a shorter book known as a report with 4 chapters total. You can read the book on O’Reilly’s learning platform.
I am excited about this book because in today’s fast-paced tech world, developers don’t just write code, they navigate cloud platforms, cloud native tools and frameworks, integrate AI, automate workflows, and collaborate across teams to drive innovation. This book is a deep dive into the evolving role of developers and how modern tools, frameworks, and methodologies are shaping the future of software engineering.
Here is the offical book description:
DevOps has delivered transformative changes to tooling and processes, but with it comes new layers of complexity. More modern frameworks and tools, like containers, Docker, Kubernetes, Platform Engineering, GitOps, and AI can accelerate development, but understanding their unique challenges (and how to address them effectively) can make the difference between a team that struggles and one that thrives.
This report explores how organizations can improve the developer experience (DevEx) by reducing complexity, streamlining workflows, and fostering supportive environments. Whether your organization is deeply invested in DevOps or simply looking to improve team performance, this report highlights strategies to elevate your development practices and outcomes.
Here are the chapters: 1. The Modern Developer Experience
2. Raising the Bar, Providing the Right Developer Environment
4. Developer Experience and the Secure Supply Chain
📖 Whether you’re a developer, team lead, or engineering manager, this book will help you refine your processes and create an environment where developers can thrive.
Exciting times! I’ve had a lot to share lately, and here’s another update. Shelley Benhoff‘s new book, “Lead Developer Career Guide“, has officially gone to print—huge congratulations to Shelley! 🎉
Published by Manning Publications Co., this book is a comprehensive resource for anyone aspiring to excel as a Lead Developer.
I’m incredibly honored to have written the foreword for this fantastic book!
In the Lead Developer Career Guide you’ll discover:
The key responsibilities of a lead developer
Techniques for writing effective technical documentation
Strategies for improving development processes
Best practices for communicating with non-technical clients
Methods for mentoring and inspiring a team
Approaches for delivering negative feedback constructively
The Lead Developer Career Guide is filled with interviews and real-world case studies from industry professionals and esteemed tech experts. You’ll learn how to become the public face for your development team, gathering feedback from your coworkers and communicating with clients and stakeholders. Plus, you’ll find proven techniques to reliably calculate project estimates, plan a project from scratch, and mentor junior developers and peers alike.
It consists of: 9 modules of 4 hours of content, many demos, 7 practice quizes, and 1 final quiz.
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Essentials is a comprehensive video course designed to take IT professionals and developers from beginner level to proficiency in utilizing Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
Here are the: Module Learning Objectives:
Module 1: Understand the core concepts and benefits of Azure Kubernetes Service.
Module 2: Learn how to set up and configure Azure AKS.
Module 3: Gain proficiency in deploying containerized applications on Azure AKS using popular tools such as Docker, Kubernetes manifests, and kubectl.
Module 4: Explore monitoring and logging capabilities on Azure AKS, leveraging Azure Monitor, Container Insights, and Log Analytics for efficient application management.
Module 5: Understand and be able to configure networking components and manage network policies, as well as implement load balancing, Ingress Controllers, and service mesh for microservice architectures on Azure AKS.
Module 6: Implement robust security measures, including Azure AD integration, RBAC, network security groups, and secrets management, to protect applications and data within AKS.
Module 7: Learn to automate application deployment and updates through continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using GitHub Actions and GitOps.
Module 8: Discover high availability and disaster recovery strategies for AKS, including multi-region deployments, backups, and restoration techniques.
Module 9: Explore best practices and advanced topics, such as autoscaling, cluster management, and service mesh integration with AKS.
This AKS course is for you if:
You’re an IT professional who wants to learn how to effectively deploy and manage containerized applications using AKS.
You’re a Cloud Architect who designs and implements cloud-based solutions and are interested in incorporating AKS as part of your application deployment strategies.
You’re a Kubernetes enthusiast with a basic understanding who wants to explore AKS specifically and deepen your knowledge of managing containerized applications in the Azure ecosystem.
You’re a DevOps Engineer who wants to enhance your skills in managing containerized workloads using AKS and integrating CI/CD pipelines for seamless application deployment.
You’re a Software Developer or Engineer who is responsible for building and deploying applications and you want to harness the power of AKS for container orchestration, scalability, and automation.
I’m thrilled to be returning to Experts Live Europe this year! 🎉 In September 2024, I’ll be back presenting once again—this time with even more to share around Azure and AKS. I’ll be co-leading one of the pre-conference sessions with Jonah Andersson, and I’m also excited to deliver a session during the main conference schedule. 🌍🎤”
I will be presenting a pre-con session on building a SaaS solution on Azure 🚀 and a session on how to use Chaos Studio with AKS to boost the resiliency of your AKS clusters 🔧. I hope you can make it to the conference 🙌! Here is more info about my sessions:
Join Steve and Jonah for this pre-conference session where they unravel the mysteries of building a SaaS on Azure. They will start with the basics of running a SaaS in the cloud through the foundations of SaaS, then dive deep into the nitty-gritty of tech side of SaaS on Azure through tech foundations of SaaS. In this session we will take a journey together exploring best practices, patterns, and anti-patterns, along with strategies for managing multi-tenancy, tenant isolation, data isolation, identity in multi-tenancy, and more. Plus, we’ll show you how to turbocharge your SaaS architecture and build with the Azure SaaS Development Kit. Don’t miss out!
Join us at the Speakers Booth in the Expo Hall to find your favorite speakers hanging out here during conference breaks and ask your questions. Take this opportunity to get the answers you are looking for!
Dive into the world of Azure Kubernetes Resiliency in this comprehensive session that delves into crucial aspects of safeguarding your deployments. From robust backup strategies to effective disaster recovery plans and the strategic chaos engineering approach, this session has it all. Join us for a deep exploration of the tools and techniques that ensure your Kubernetes environment remains resilient in the face of challenges. Walk away empowered with the knowledge to fortify your applications and infrastructure against unforeseen circumstances.
I was recently a guest on the RunAsRadio podcast. This was the second time being on the show. The last time was 4 years ago. You can catch the old episode here: Terraform vs Bicep/ARM with Steve Buchanan.
This new episode is #924 and is titled: “From SysAdmin to Platform Engineer with Steve Buchanan“. On this new episode we talked about Platform Engineering and a bunch of other stuff.
Here is the description from the episode:
“Aren’t we all platform engineers? Steve Buchanan says yes!
But there’s more to it. Steve talks about the mindset of looking beyond individual products that we might have skills with and owning the entire problem of providing platforms for your organization to get work done.
The conversation dives into the many products that can help our applications function better and the challenge of making them secure and fast. Are containers the solution? Possibly!
It’s your platform; focus on the fundamentals and go further!“
I had a great time chatting with Richard and we didn’t even mention AI until 40 minutes in. haha
