Rachel Stephens
@rstephens.me
sunshine and rainbows and f-bombs 🌈
she/her
@redmonk
she/her
@redmonk
I'm trying really hard to replace unnecessary apologies with gratitude (in the vein of "thanks for your help" instead of "sorry for the trouble")
The problem is my muscle memory around apologizing is strong
And so sometimes I ask a server for extra napkins and then say "sorry very much"
The problem is my muscle memory around apologizing is strong
And so sometimes I ask a server for extra napkins and then say "sorry very much"
February 12, 2026 at 1:06 AM
I'm trying really hard to replace unnecessary apologies with gratitude (in the vein of "thanks for your help" instead of "sorry for the trouble")
The problem is my muscle memory around apologizing is strong
And so sometimes I ask a server for extra napkins and then say "sorry very much"
The problem is my muscle memory around apologizing is strong
And so sometimes I ask a server for extra napkins and then say "sorry very much"
Can everyone building agent orchestration tools *please* stop using the term "overseer" to describe human oversight?
We already learned this lesson with master > main. Words matter.
We already learned this lesson with master > main. Words matter.
February 10, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Can everyone building agent orchestration tools *please* stop using the term "overseer" to describe human oversight?
We already learned this lesson with master > main. Words matter.
We already learned this lesson with master > main. Words matter.
Reposted by Rachel Stephens
Maybe "Sisu".
If I had to pick a word to describe the mood here in Minnesota right now the thing that comes to mind is "resolute"
That Midwestern stubbornness is in full effect.
That Midwestern stubbornness is in full effect.
January 25, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Maybe "Sisu".
Reposted by Rachel Stephens
A fantastic discussion with @rstephens.me @aeva.online and Chris about the Complex World we live in.
It’s the power of the @redmonk.com community
redmonk.com/videos/compl...
It’s the power of the @redmonk.com community
redmonk.com/videos/compl...
Complex, Not Complicated
Modern software systems are frequently described as “complicated,” but that framing obscures the nature of the challenge. Complicated systems can be decomposed, reasoned about, and managed through cle...
redmonk.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:11 PM
A fantastic discussion with @rstephens.me @aeva.online and Chris about the Complex World we live in.
It’s the power of the @redmonk.com community
redmonk.com/videos/compl...
It’s the power of the @redmonk.com community
redmonk.com/videos/compl...
New video up: a conversation about how the observability market is evolving and the role vendors like @dynatrace.com are playing. Worth a watch if you’re thinking about tooling and data strategy.
redmonk.com/videos/obser...
redmonk.com/videos/obser...
Dynatrace and the Observability Market
In this conversation, Rachel Stephens, the research director at RedMonk, discusses the evolution of observability in the tech industry. She highlights: – the shift from traditional monitoring to a bro...
redmonk.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:33 PM
New video up: a conversation about how the observability market is evolving and the role vendors like @dynatrace.com are playing. Worth a watch if you’re thinking about tooling and data strategy.
redmonk.com/videos/obser...
redmonk.com/videos/obser...
I really like this piece from @kateholterhoff.com
"AI Teammate," "AI coworker," we are all still grappling with how to talk about machines that might be genuinely good at their jobs, because we haven't quite figured out what that means for ours. Just don't expect it to bring bagels to standup 🥯 @redmonk.com redmonk.com/kholterhoff/...
Will Your AI Teammate Bring Bagels to Standup?
The phrase “AI teammate” has dominated marketing around AI and agentic workplace collaboration tools for years. It’s warm, approachable, and rolls off the tongue with the careful calculation of a thou...
redmonk.com
January 16, 2026 at 1:10 AM
I really like this piece from @kateholterhoff.com
Reposted by Rachel Stephens
very cool. well done, anthropic.
pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/12/anth...
pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/12/anth...
Anthropic invests $1.5 million in the Python Software Foundation and open source security
pyfound.blogspot.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:01 PM
very cool. well done, anthropic.
pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/12/anth...
pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/12/anth...
Reposted by Rachel Stephens
what do VMs, microservices and agents have in common? and what does Yeats have to do with all of that?
redmonk.com/sogrady/2026...
redmonk.com/sogrady/2026...
The Blood Dimmed Tide of Agents
Many years ago, a large European bank spoke to analysts after its first transition from purely physical hardware into virtual machines. While expressing overall satisfaction with the move, its enthusi...
redmonk.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:05 PM
what do VMs, microservices and agents have in common? and what does Yeats have to do with all of that?
redmonk.com/sogrady/2026...
redmonk.com/sogrady/2026...
Reposted by Rachel Stephens
Join the dora.community today for a discussion with @wiredferret.bsky.social about progressive delivery.
Heidi will give a brief overview and then we'll have a lean coffee-based discussion about the topic.
Meeting starts at 12PM ET, details on the mailing list.
#DORA #GBGB #Community
Heidi will give a brief overview and then we'll have a lean coffee-based discussion about the topic.
Meeting starts at 12PM ET, details on the mailing list.
#DORA #GBGB #Community
DORA Community of Practice
The DORA Community provides opportunities to learn, discuss, and collaborate on software delivery and operational performance. Enabling a culture of continuous improvement.
dora.community
January 8, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Join the dora.community today for a discussion with @wiredferret.bsky.social about progressive delivery.
Heidi will give a brief overview and then we'll have a lean coffee-based discussion about the topic.
Meeting starts at 12PM ET, details on the mailing list.
#DORA #GBGB #Community
Heidi will give a brief overview and then we'll have a lean coffee-based discussion about the topic.
Meeting starts at 12PM ET, details on the mailing list.
#DORA #GBGB #Community
Maybe not every SaaS service needs a year in review...
December 29, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Maybe not every SaaS service needs a year in review...
our kids sleep with stuffed animals that you can warm up in the microwave before bed.
the result is super cozy, but it’s always a little unsettling to be the person in charge of nuking the baby animals.
the result is super cozy, but it’s always a little unsettling to be the person in charge of nuking the baby animals.
December 29, 2025 at 2:25 AM
our kids sleep with stuffed animals that you can warm up in the microwave before bed.
the result is super cozy, but it’s always a little unsettling to be the person in charge of nuking the baby animals.
the result is super cozy, but it’s always a little unsettling to be the person in charge of nuking the baby animals.
the most relatable part of Little Mermaid as a parent is the horror of discovering your child has built a shrine out of random trash they found on the playground, and they are emotionally attached to every single “treasure”
whole fucking house is full of dinglehoppers I can’t throw away.
whole fucking house is full of dinglehoppers I can’t throw away.
December 21, 2025 at 7:12 PM
the most relatable part of Little Mermaid as a parent is the horror of discovering your child has built a shrine out of random trash they found on the playground, and they are emotionally attached to every single “treasure”
whole fucking house is full of dinglehoppers I can’t throw away.
whole fucking house is full of dinglehoppers I can’t throw away.
Still can’t speak Spanish past what I remember from high school, still terrible at chess, still fiercely protective of my streak
December 20, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Still can’t speak Spanish past what I remember from high school, still terrible at chess, still fiercely protective of my streak
The @redmonk.com team allows* me to plan activities for the team holiday happy hour every year, and I am SO EXCITED for today's Show and Tell festivities.
*begrudgingly allows
*begrudgingly allows
December 19, 2025 at 3:42 PM
The @redmonk.com team allows* me to plan activities for the team holiday happy hour every year, and I am SO EXCITED for today's Show and Tell festivities.
*begrudgingly allows
*begrudgingly allows
I talked with @zachlloyd.bsky.social from @warp.dev about how the terminal is changing, why agentic development needs new interfaces, and what comes after writing code by hand.
redmonk.com/blog/2025/12...
redmonk.com/blog/2025/12...
zachlloyd.bsky.social
zachlloyd.bsky.social
December 16, 2025 at 3:26 PM
I talked with @zachlloyd.bsky.social from @warp.dev about how the terminal is changing, why agentic development needs new interfaces, and what comes after writing code by hand.
redmonk.com/blog/2025/12...
redmonk.com/blog/2025/12...
Reposted by Rachel Stephens
Have you been following the JavaScript Bundler Grand Prix? Consider recent announcements including @voidzero.dev's Vite+, @bytedance.bsky.social's Rspack 1.6, @vercel.com's @nextjs.org 16 (beta) release enabling Turbopack by default, & @anthropic.com's Bun acquisition. redmonk.com/kholterhoff/...
December 16, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Have you been following the JavaScript Bundler Grand Prix? Consider recent announcements including @voidzero.dev's Vite+, @bytedance.bsky.social's Rspack 1.6, @vercel.com's @nextjs.org 16 (beta) release enabling Turbopack by default, & @anthropic.com's Bun acquisition. redmonk.com/kholterhoff/...
ain't no party like a reinvent party cuz a reinvent party don't sto ---- wait hold on, it's almost midnight and I haven't done my duolingo yet, give me a couple minutes
December 3, 2025 at 8:15 AM
ain't no party like a reinvent party cuz a reinvent party don't sto ---- wait hold on, it's almost midnight and I haven't done my duolingo yet, give me a couple minutes
Text 1: “I’m so excited you texted me! I promise I won’t be annoying!”
Texts 2-5: “and if I am annoying here are various ways you can signal that I’m annoying!”
(but alas this pattern matching didn’t hit until ~2 hours after text 5.)
Texts 2-5: “and if I am annoying here are various ways you can signal that I’m annoying!”
(but alas this pattern matching didn’t hit until ~2 hours after text 5.)
November 25, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Text 1: “I’m so excited you texted me! I promise I won’t be annoying!”
Texts 2-5: “and if I am annoying here are various ways you can signal that I’m annoying!”
(but alas this pattern matching didn’t hit until ~2 hours after text 5.)
Texts 2-5: “and if I am annoying here are various ways you can signal that I’m annoying!”
(but alas this pattern matching didn’t hit until ~2 hours after text 5.)
Sudden realization 8 years in - am I still supposed to be gauging the temperature of my kids’ baths with my elbow?
Is that just an infant thing that you are naturally supposed to stop doing?
Is that just an infant thing that you are naturally supposed to stop doing?
November 24, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Sudden realization 8 years in - am I still supposed to be gauging the temperature of my kids’ baths with my elbow?
Is that just an infant thing that you are naturally supposed to stop doing?
Is that just an infant thing that you are naturally supposed to stop doing?
I love moments when I'm reminded how amazing my colleagues are, and right now is a @kateholterhoff.com appreciation moment. She does such great work!
November 21, 2025 at 10:48 PM
I love moments when I'm reminded how amazing my colleagues are, and right now is a @kateholterhoff.com appreciation moment. She does such great work!
That feeling when you get ready to go out to dinner and then realize you could have looked presentable all day if you had just done this 8 hours earlier
November 19, 2025 at 11:34 PM
That feeling when you get ready to go out to dinner and then realize you could have looked presentable all day if you had just done this 8 hours earlier
Totally not the point of this post, but I love this line from @charity.wtf:
"infrastructure is the code you have to run in order to run the code you want to run"
www.honeycomb.io/blog/the-meh...
"infrastructure is the code you have to run in order to run the code you want to run"
www.honeycomb.io/blog/the-meh...
The "Meh-trics" Reloaded: Why I Was 100% Wrong About Metrics (and Also 100% Right)
Okay, I'm going to say something that would make 2016 Charity want to throw her laptop across the room: we're making a major investment in metrics at Honeycomb. I know, I know.
www.honeycomb.io
November 19, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Totally not the point of this post, but I love this line from @charity.wtf:
"infrastructure is the code you have to run in order to run the code you want to run"
www.honeycomb.io/blog/the-meh...
"infrastructure is the code you have to run in order to run the code you want to run"
www.honeycomb.io/blog/the-meh...
Reposted by Rachel Stephens
Forgot to post this yesterday… twinning with @rstephens.me at #kubeconNA!
November 13, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Forgot to post this yesterday… twinning with @rstephens.me at #kubeconNA!
I used Lasagna Love earlier this year after we had a loss in the family. I didn't have a financial need, I just wanted a home cooked meal and the feeling that someone cared.
The lasagna ended up being delivered the same week my brother lost a close friend, and I shared the meal with him too.
The lasagna ended up being delivered the same week my brother lost a close friend, and I shared the meal with him too.
Lasagna Love volunteers make and deliver home-cooked meals—on their own schedule, within their own budget. It’s flexible, fun, and truly rewarding.
When neighbors care for each other, everyone wins.
Volunteer today: www.lasagnalove.org/volunteer
When neighbors care for each other, everyone wins.
Volunteer today: www.lasagnalove.org/volunteer
Volunteer with Lasagna Love | Deliver Meals with Kindness
Join Lasagna Love as a volunteer. Cook a meal, deliver kindness, and support families in your community. Sign up today to make a difference.
www.lasagnalove.org
November 12, 2025 at 11:41 PM
I used Lasagna Love earlier this year after we had a loss in the family. I didn't have a financial need, I just wanted a home cooked meal and the feeling that someone cared.
The lasagna ended up being delivered the same week my brother lost a close friend, and I shared the meal with him too.
The lasagna ended up being delivered the same week my brother lost a close friend, and I shared the meal with him too.