Mark C Allen
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markcallen.bsky.social
Mark C Allen
@markcallen.bsky.social
DevOps evangelist. Maker of APIs. User of vim.
If your “DevOps” is just CI/CD and vibes… it’s time to grow up.

This week on #EverydayDevOps:
• TFLint: because your Terraform deserves linting, not lint
• Feature Flags: deploy like a grown-up
• DORA Metrics: measure or die trying

Start building like a pro:
Everyday DevOps - CI/CD, K8S, IaC
Ideas, concepts, tips & tricks based on my day-to-day experience being a DevOps engineer.
www.markcallen.com
May 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
DevOps isn’t just YAML and crying in the terminal.

This week on #EverydayDevOps:
• TFLint keeps your Terraform honest
• Feature Flags save your bacon
• Kubernetes still hates you

Check it out and level up your chaos: www.markcallen.com?utm_source=B...

#DevOps #Kubernetes #Terraform
Everyday DevOps
Ideas, concepts, tips & tricks based on my day-to-day experience being a DevOps engineer.
www.markcallen.com
May 18, 2025 at 4:12 PM
AI isn’t coming for your job.

Google Maps already did.

If your business looks sketchy in street view, has no reviews, and opens at 11am…

You’re invisible.

Maps are the algorithm now.

Read this: medium.com/p/2eff5ec62fee

#AI #Search #SEO #SmallBiz
If You Run a Local Business, Your Google Maps Listing Might Be Killing You
Maps are the new storefront. And if you’re running a brick-and-mortar business, your presence, or absence, on digital maps could be the…
medium.com
May 14, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Everyone’s hyped about AI prompts like “summarize this PDF”

But the real OG prompt is:

“sushi near me”

Google Maps has been doing AI before it was cool.

Your storefront photo might matter more than your website.

medium.com/p/2eff5ec62fee

#AI #SEO #Maps
If You Run a Local Business, Your Google Maps Listing Might Be Killing You
Maps are the new storefront. And if you’re running a brick-and-mortar business, your presence, or absence, on digital maps could be the…
medium.com
May 14, 2025 at 4:12 PM
🧠 Could you explain Kubernetes to a CEO?
🎯 Or CI/CD pipelines to HR?

If you're in DevOps and job hunting, that skill might get you hired.

I wrote this to help you master it:
🔗 medium.com/@markcallen_...
#everydaydevops #DevOpsJobs #TechCommunication
Explaining technical things to non-technical people: the interview question
One of the main things I do as a software engineering leader is explain technical things to non-technical people.
medium.com
May 12, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Tech interviews aren’t just about what you know—they’re about how well you explain it.

“Explain a technical concept to a non-technical person” is a common question that trips up DevOps pros.

Here's how to nail it:
🔗 medium.com/@markcallen_...
#DevOps #TechCareers #InterviewTips #everydaydevops
Explaining technical things to non-technical people: the interview question
One of the main things I do as a software engineering leader is explain technical things to non-technical people.
medium.com
May 10, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Your next promotion may depend less on your stack and more on your storytelling.
Can you explain infra design to a CFO? In 2 minutes?
#EverydayDevOps tackles this critical skill: translating tech to influence.
👉 markcallen.kit.com/posts/everyd...
#DevOps #CTO #ExecutiveCommunication
Everyday DevOps - Explaining technical things to non-technical people: the interview question
​www.markcallen.com​
markcallen.kit.com
May 8, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Can you describe your CI/CD pipeline to a PM with zero tech background?
If not, you may be limiting your impact.
In my latest #EverydayDevOps post, I explore how to make complex systems make sense to non-engineers.
👉 markcallen.kit.com/posts/everyd...
#DevOps #Teamwork #TechLeadership
Everyday DevOps - Explaining technical things to non-technical people: the interview question
​www.markcallen.com​
markcallen.kit.com
May 7, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Struggling to explain what you do to your friends or during interviews?
This #EverydayDevOps post breaks down how to explain technical things simply—no jargon, just clarity.
A must-read if you're new to tech.
👉 markcallen.kit.com/posts/everyd...
#DevOps #TechCareers #Communication
Everyday DevOps - Explaining technical things to non-technical people: the interview question
​www.markcallen.com​
markcallen.kit.com
May 6, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Nothing tests your patience like a docker-compose up getting wrecked by a port conflict. Why is port 5432 always in use? I'm about to start assigning ports with a dartboard. 🎯

Tips on how to deal with this. www.markcallen.com/preventing-p...

#EveryDayDevOps #docker
Preventing Port Conflicts in Docker Compose with Dynamic Ports
Learn how to prevent port conflicts in Docker Compose by using dynamic ports instead of hardcoded ones. Improve your local development and CI workflows with this practical DevOps tip.
www.markcallen.com
May 4, 2025 at 11:48 PM
AI is only as good as its deployment strategy.
This week in #EverydayDevOps:
How feature flags help build trust, enable experimentation, and bridge the gap between model development and user experience.
🧩 Let’s make AI safer—one flag at a time.
👉 markcallen.kit.com/posts/everyd...

#FeatureFlags
Everyday DevOps - Using Feature Flags to Build a Better AI
​www.markcallen.com​
markcallen.kit.com
May 2, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Shipping AI features to prod without feature flags? That’s a gamble, not engineering.
In my latest post, I break down how to safely iterate on AI logic in real-world systems using battle-tested DevOps techniques.

📖 markcallen.kit.com/posts/everyd...

#EverydayDevOps #DevOps #MLOps #FeatureFlags
May 1, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Struggling to test AI changes in production without chaos?
Feature flags can be your secret weapon.
This week’s #EverydayDevOps dives into smart rollout strategies for AI-powered systems.

🧠💡 markcallen.kit.com/posts/everyd...

#DevOps #AI #FeatureFlags
Everyday DevOps - Using Feature Flags to Build a Better AI
​www.markcallen.com​
markcallen.kit.com
April 30, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Just learning DevOps and AI? 🚀 I didn’t know what feature flags were until this!
Check out how they help you safely experiment with AI in prod—without breaking things.

📬 New post from my #EverydayDevOps series:
👉 markcallen.kit.com/posts/everyd...

#DevOps #AI #FeatureFlags
Everyday DevOps - Using Feature Flags to Build a Better AI
​www.markcallen.com​
markcallen.kit.com
April 29, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Shipping AI without feature flags? Bold move. 🎯 Let’s hope it doesn’t take your app down with it. 📉

Want to move fast and not break things? 🚀

I wrote about it: blog.devcycle.com/using-featur...

#MachineLearning #AI #DevOps
Using Feature Flags to Build a Better AI
In a world where AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in applications, there is a need to ensure that the AI is accurate. We hear a lot about failures with chatbots going rogue, image generators showing...
blog.devcycle.com
April 29, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Building AI without feature flags is like driving a race car with no brakes. 🏎️💥

You will crash.

Feature flags = speed ⚡ + safety 🛡️.

Learn how to build smarter: blog.devcycle.com/using-featur...

#AI #FeatureFlags #DevCycle #EveryDayDevOps
Using Feature Flags to Build a Better AI
In a world where AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in applications, there is a need to ensure that the AI is accurate. We hear a lot about failures with chatbots going rogue, image generators showing...
blog.devcycle.com
April 28, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Tired of feature flags that break more than they fix?
DevCycle’s building it right — by devs, for devs.
They’re hiring full-stack engineers:
🚀 jobs.lever.co/devcycle/2a7...
Not your average dev gig.
#DevOps #DevCycle #ShipSmarter
DevCycle - Full-Stack Engineer
Who We Are At DevCycle, we believe that no engineering team should fear deploying to Production. Managing the rollout of new features and services with feature flags should be as seamless as…
jobs.lever.co
April 28, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Debugging Kubernetes microservices sucks, especially when they’re locked down or impossible to replicate locally.

Codezero lets me jack straight into internal services from my laptop.

Read how: www.markcallen.com/debugging-wi...

#Kubernetes #DevOps #Codezero #EverydayDevOps #Codezero
Debugging with Codezero
One of the hardest things to do is to figure out what the problem is with a production service. Exception management tools like Sentry can help you identify where the error occurs, and centralized…
www.markcallen.com
April 25, 2025 at 11:48 PM
DevTools that don’t suck?
DevCycle’s making feature flags feel less like defusing a bomb.
If you’re a full-stack dev who ships like a savage, this one’s worth a look:
👉 jobs.lever.co/devcycle/2a7...

#DevOps #DevCycle #FeatureFlags #FullStackDev
DevCycle - Full-Stack Engineer
Who We Are At DevCycle, we believe that no engineering team should fear deploying to Production. Managing the rollout of new features and services with feature flags should be as seamless as…
jobs.lever.co
April 24, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Your Terraform code isn’t as clean as you think.
TFLint will prove it.

Static analysis for your IaC that catches the dumb stuff before it breaks prod.

Quick setup. Big payoff. No excuses.
Read more: www.markcallen.com/tflint-stati...

#EverydayDevOps #Terraform #DevOps #IaC #ShipIt
TFLint: Static Analysis for Terraform
Continuous integration is a key part of the CI/CD pipeline. One of the main components is static analysis, which I cover in my post Static Analysis, the First Step in any Application. If you're…
www.markcallen.com
April 22, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Coding with Chatgpt might feel like vibe coding, but when you’ve got the skills, it’s more like dancing with a partner who always has your back.

So, is it vibe coding if you know what you're doing?

www.markcallen.com/is-it-vibe-c...
Is it vibe coding if I know what I’m doing?
Anyone can watch a YouTube video and think they can renovate their bathroom, but as someone who has tried to do it, I can tell you that it’s a lot harder than it looks. I think vibe coding is the…
www.markcallen.com
April 18, 2025 at 11:48 PM
The metaverse isn’t dead. It’s just not ready yet.

If your kids are on Roblox, they’re already in one. The rest of us? Still waiting on better tech, sleeker VR headsets, and real standards.

New post: The Road to Metaverse Adoption
The Road to Metaverse Adoption
The Metaverse is a collective virtual space where digital and physical realities merge, enabling immersive interactions through avatars…
medium.com
April 15, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Why aren’t you deploying multiple times per day?

At Hootsuite, we hit 10–20 deployments daily. The secret?
• CI/CD pipelines
• Trunk-based development
• Feature flags

You can too.

Read how: medium.com/@markcallen_...

#EverydayDevOps #DevOps #CICD #FeatureFlags
Everyone Else Deploys Multiple Times Per Day. Why Don’t You?
Modern SAAS software development teams deploy to production multiple times daily without ceremony.
medium.com
April 11, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Just gave my DevOps blog a fresh update!
If you’re into CI/CD, shipping fast, and keeping things smooth in prod, check it out: www.markcallen.com

#DevOps #EverydayDevOps #CICD
Everyday DevOps
Ideas, concepts, tips & tricks based on my day-to-day experience being a DevOps engineer.
www.markcallen.com
April 10, 2025 at 11:48 PM
I have some free time.

If you are looking for someone to help with Terraform on AWS, or GCP, let me know. I’ve built an opinionated framework for AWS that has been used on several projects.
github.com/markcallen/a...

#devops #terraform #aws
GitHub - markcallen/aws-cld: Common setup for a AWS global cluster with kubernetes and databases
Common setup for a AWS global cluster with kubernetes and databases - markcallen/aws-cld
github.com
April 8, 2025 at 11:48 PM