Preface / Introduction / Teaser

(Status: in progress / continuous publishing / self-published)

Ever since 2019, I’ve wanted to write this book—a guide for practitioners navigating the real-world challenges of DevOps and sociotechnical systems. Back then, I paused my efforts, convinced that someone else’s similar work had already filled the gap. Years later, that book remains unfinished, and I’ve realized that, despite sharing some buzzwords and techniques, my story and purpose are entirely different.

Launching this website reignited my motivation. Why not publish iteratively, share insights as they evolve, and invite feedback along the way? This book is my attempt to do just that: to offer a living, growing resource for teams and leaders seeking to escape the “hamster wheel” of organizational traps and to foster meaningful, collaborative transformation.

This journey is ongoing. At some point, the book may move to a new home—perhaps Leanpub or a dedicated site—but for now, it lives here, open to your thoughts and contributions.

About the Book

This book is a practitioner’s guide to understanding and escaping the systemic traps of modern DevOps in enterprise environments. Framed through a fable—the story of a frantic hamster trapped in a crumbling wheel—it explores how organizations striving for agility and speed often become stuck in vicious circles and avoidable complexity and conflicts that are hard to prevent and difficult to turn around.

Who the Book is For

This book is for executives, change managers, agile and engineering coaches, and anyone in leadership or management roles in product and engineering—as well as for engineers themselves. It is a guide to help teams and organizations zoom out, make sense of their operating environment, and get unstuck in the DevOps hamster wheel.

What the Book Covers

The book translates the fable into real-world challenges in digital transformation, SaaS, digital services, and digital ecosystems. At its core, it focuses on the discussions and perspectives that may be necessary to navigate sociotechnical complexity—not just the tools. While each chapter offers practical ways to assess and address problems, and includes concise cheat sheets referencing collaborative mainstream Toolbox methods, the primary goal is to foster the diversity of thought required to address the complexity of root causes and symptoms across organizational boundaries.

How the Book Came to Life

The book is grounded in 15 years of personal experience—from starting out as an engineering coach to growing into a sociotechnical expert, facilitator, and turnaround guide. Each chapter reflects the lessons learned along that journey and is inspired and sharpened by conversations with many great thought leaders I’ve had the privilege to connect with in recent years.

Disclaimer

Referenced Works and AI-Generated Illustrations

Some illustrations in this book were generated using AI image tools such as OpenAI Sora. These images are synthetic, composed from textual prompts by me (the author/curator), and are used for storytelling and conceptual purposes. They do not depict real individuals, real locations, or existing copyrighted materials to the best of my knowledge. Prompts used to generate these visuals do not include brand names, celebrities, or the styles of identifiable living artists.

All efforts have been made to respect intellectual property rights, both in text and images. Where Toolbox methods, models, or concepts are referenced, this is done with the intention to highlight and promote valuable tools for practitioners—not to infringe or misappropriate. I advocate for original thinking, good books, and collaborative methods, and I actively seek permission or provide attribution where appropriate.

If you are a rights holder and believe your work has been used inappropriately or without sufficient credit, please contact me (the author/curator) directly before taking any formal legal steps. I will make every effort to address concerns promptly, clarify sources, or revise the content where needed. This work is published in good faith and is intended for educational, transformative, and professional discussion purposes. It is not meant to misrepresent, commercialize, or exploit the work of others. All content is provided in good faith and for educational and professional use. In case of any intellectual property concerns, please contact me (the author/curator) for resolution prior to initiating legal proceedings.