Recommendations from ChatGPT on introducing Observability in a large Company

Observability is a large-scale initiative requiring many aspects considered, planned carefully and executed with Swiss watch precision. The aspect considers the technology stack, data, and business support to ensure the work is prioritized and budgeted properly. This is not the work of a lonely wolf. It requires wide support across the Enterprise. Recently I joined a similar project, and it helped me to learn through some challenging experiences. I’m still learning, but I thought these few lessons would help a few out there that are just getting started on this journey.

I summarized my lessons in the form of a conversation with ChatGPT AI following my mentor's favourite Socrates method. I hope you find this useful.

David Beilis
write a pitch to introduce observability

ChatGPT
Are you tired of being in the dark when it comes to understanding how your applications are performing? Do you struggle to identify and troubleshoot issues in your production environment? If so, then observability is the solution you’ve been looking for.

Observability is a set of practices and tools that enable you to gain insight into your applications’ behavior and performance in real-time. It provides visibility into your entire stack, from the user interface down to the underlying infrastructure. With observability, you can quickly detect and diagnose issues, and understand how your application is performing for your end-users.

Observability is not just another buzzword; it’s a critical component of modern software development. It allows you to collect and analyze metrics, logs, traces, and other telemetry data, providing a comprehensive view of your application’s health. With observability, you can improve your application’s reliability, reduce downtime, and increase the overall quality of your software.

But don’t just take our word for it. Companies that have implemented observability have seen significant improvements in their application performance and reliability. They have reduced the mean time to resolution (MTTR) for issues, improved their deployment speed, and increased customer satisfaction.

So, if you want to take your application’s performance and reliability to the next level, it’s time to embrace observability. With the right tools and practices in place, you can gain the insight you need to make informed decisions, quickly troubleshoot issues, and ultimately deliver better software.

David Beilis
How would you go about introducing observability in a large company?

ChatGPT
Introducing observability in a large company can be a complex undertaking, but here are some steps you could take:

1. Assess the current situation: Before introducing observability, it’s essential to understand the current state of the company’s software development process. This includes identifying pain points, understanding the current monitoring tools and practices in place, and analyzing the application’s architecture. This assessment will help you identify areas where observability can have the most significant impact and help tailor the introduction of observability to the company’s specific needs.
2. Build a business case: To gain support for introducing observability, it’s essential to build a compelling business case that highlights the benefits it can provide. This should include data on how observability can improve application performance, reduce downtime, and ultimately increase revenue. It’s crucial to communicate these benefits in a way that resonates with stakeholders across the organization, including technical teams, management, and business leaders.
3. Identify the right observability tools: There are many observability tools available in the market, and it’s essential to select the right ones for the company’s needs. This includes considering factors such as the application’s architecture, the volume of data that needs to be collected and analyzed, and the team’s technical expertise. It’s important to involve the relevant technical teams in the selection process to ensure buy-in and a successful implementation.
4. Plan the implementation: Introducing observability is not a one-time event but a process that requires careful planning and execution. This includes defining the scope of the implementation, setting up the necessary infrastructure, configuring the monitoring tools, and training teams on the new processes and tools. It’s essential to have a detailed plan in place and communicate it effectively to ensure a successful implementation.
5. Monitor and continuously improve: Once observability is implemented, it’s important to monitor its effectiveness continually and make improvements as necessary. This includes analyzing the data collected, identifying areas for improvement, and making necessary changes to the monitoring tools and processes. It’s also essential to involve the relevant teams in this continuous improvement process to ensure a culture of observability is established across the organization.

In summary, introducing observability in a large company requires a well-planned and executed approach. By following these steps, you can ensure a successful implementation that provides the benefits of observability to the company’s software development process.

David Beilis
Would you consider it to be a change management exercise?

ChatGPT
Yes, introducing observability in a large company can be considered a change management exercise. This is because it involves implementing new processes, tools, and practices that affect the way the company’s software development teams work.

Change management is a structured approach to managing the people side of change, and it is essential when introducing observability. This includes identifying and communicating the need for change, building a coalition of support, involving key stakeholders, providing training and support to teams, and continuously monitoring and adapting to the change.

Introducing observability requires a shift in mindset from reactive to proactive monitoring, and this can be a significant change for some teams. It’s important to recognize that change is not just a technical challenge but a people challenge. By effectively managing the change, you can ensure that the teams are engaged, supportive, and able to fully adopt and benefit from the new observability practices and tools.

In summary, introducing observability in a large company requires a structured approach to change management to ensure that the teams are fully onboard and equipped to adopt the new practices and tools.

David Beilis
how would you suggest approaching building a coalition? Who should I start with first in a business company? Can you give an example of measurements to build a business case?

ChatGPT
Building a coalition of support is essential when introducing observability in a large company. Here are some steps to consider:

1. Identify key stakeholders: Start by identifying key stakeholders who are likely to be affected by the introduction of observability. This includes technical teams, management, and business leaders who have a vested interest in the company’s software development process.
2. Communicate the need for change: Once you have identified key stakeholders, it’s essential to communicate the need for change and the benefits that observability can provide. This includes highlighting pain points in the current monitoring process and demonstrating how observability can help address them.
3. Provide education and training: To build a coalition of support, it’s important to provide education and training to the teams on the benefits of observability and how to use the new tools effectively. This helps to build confidence and ensure that the teams are fully onboard with the change.
4. Involve the teams in the process: Involve the relevant teams in the decision-making process, including selecting the right observability tools and defining the scope of the implementation. This helps to ensure buy-in and a successful implementation.
5. Continuously communicate progress and successes: It’s important to continuously communicate progress and successes to the stakeholders to maintain their engagement and support. This includes providing regular updates on the benefits that observability is providing, such as improved application performance, reduced downtime, and increased revenue.
6. When building a business case for observability, it’s important to measure the impact it can have on the company’s software development process. Here are some measurements to consider:
7. Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR): MTTR is a metric that measures the average time it takes to resolve an issue. Introducing observability can help reduce MTTR by providing real-time visibility into the application’s behavior and performance.
8. Application performance: Observability can help improve application performance by identifying bottlenecks and areas for optimization. Measuring improvements in application performance can help demonstrate the benefits of observability.
9. Revenue impact: Improvements in application performance and reliability can have a direct impact on revenue. Measuring the revenue impact of observability can help build a compelling business case.
10. Operational costs: Introducing observability can help reduce operational costs by streamlining monitoring and troubleshooting processes. Measuring improvements in operational costs can help demonstrate the return on investment of observability.

In summary, building a coalition of support for observability requires effective communication, education, and involvement of key stakeholders. To build a compelling business case, it’s important to measure the impact observability can have on the company’s software development process.

David Beilis
how to deal with hostile resistance and politics?

ChatGPT
Introducing observability in a large company can sometimes face hostile resistance and politics, which can make the process challenging. Here are some steps you can take to manage these challenges:

1. Understand the concerns: Hostile resistance and politics often stem from concerns about job security, fear of change, or perceived threats to existing power structures. It’s important to understand these concerns and address them proactively.
2. Communicate the benefits: Effective communication is critical when dealing with resistance to change. Clearly communicate the benefits of observability, including improved application performance, reduced downtime, and increased revenue.
3. Address the politics: In some cases, politics may be playing a role in the resistance to observability. In such cases, it’s essential to address the underlying political dynamics and work towards building a shared understanding and agreement on the need for observability.
4. Involve the teams in the decision-making process: Involve the relevant teams in the decision-making process, including selecting the right observability tools and defining the scope of the implementation. This helps to ensure buy-in and a successful implementation.
5. Provide training and support: Hostile resistance can sometimes arise from a lack of understanding or comfort with the new tools and processes. Providing training and support can help address this and ensure that teams are fully onboard with the change.
6. Focus on quick wins: To build momentum and demonstrate the benefits of observability, focus on quick wins that can be easily measured and communicated. This can help to build support and overcome resistance.
7. Be patient and persistent: Introducing observability in a large company can take time, and it’s important to be patient and persistent. Continuously communicate progress and successes, and address any concerns or resistance proactively.

In summary, dealing with hostile resistance and politics requires understanding the concerns, effective communication, involvement of key stakeholders, training and support, and a focus on quick wins. By being patient and persistent, you can overcome resistance and successfully introduce observability in a large company.

David Beilis
I need to manage all this and prepare my manager to get his support. Can you come up with a sample agenda for my meeting with my boss to his support on this?

ChatGPT
Sure, here is a sample agenda for your meeting with your boss to get his support for introducing observability in the company:

1. Introduction: Briefly introduce the topic of observability and its importance in today’s software development landscape.
2. Pain Points: Discuss the current pain points and challenges faced by the company in its software development process. Highlight how these challenges are impacting the company’s business objectives, including revenue and customer satisfaction.
3. Observability Benefits: Outline the benefits of observability, including improved application performance, reduced downtime, and increased revenue. Use relevant case studies and industry examples to demonstrate the value of observability.
4. Implementation Plan: Provide an overview of the implementation plan for introducing observability in the company. This includes identifying the right observability tools, defining the scope of the implementation, and involving the relevant teams in the decision-making process.
5. ROI: Discuss the potential return on investment (ROI) of implementing observability in the company. This includes measuring the impact of observability on key metrics such as Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR), application performance, revenue impact, and operational costs.
6. Risks and Challenges: Highlight any risks or challenges that may arise during the implementation process and how they will be addressed. This includes dealing with hostile resistance, politics, and change management issues.
7. Conclusion and Next Steps: Conclude the meeting by summarizing the key points and highlighting the importance of introducing observability in the company. Discuss the next steps, including obtaining buy-in from other stakeholders and defining a timeline for implementation.

Overall, the agenda should be structured in a way that effectively communicates the importance of observability and its potential impact on the company’s business objectives. Use data and real-world examples to support your arguments and focus on building a compelling business case for introducing observability.

David Beilis
what ask could I share with my boss, and what should be the principles behind the expectations I would set?

ChatGPT
Here are some questions you could ask your boss and the principles behind setting expectations for introducing observability in the company:

1. What are your business objectives for the company, and how can observability help achieve these objectives? It’s essential to align the introduction of observability with the overall business objectives of the company. The principle behind this is to ensure that the implementation of observability is seen as a strategic initiative and not just a technical tool.
2. What are your expectations for the implementation of observability, and what are the timelines for achieving these expectations? Setting clear expectations and timelines for the implementation of observability is essential to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common goal. The principle behind this is to provide a clear roadmap for the implementation process and ensure that everyone is held accountable for delivering on their commitments.
3. How will the success of the observability implementation be measured, and what are the key metrics that will be tracked? It’s crucial to define clear success metrics for the implementation of observability and regularly track progress against these metrics. The principle behind this is to ensure that the implementation of observability is seen as a data-driven initiative and that progress is objectively measured and reported.
4. How will the implementation of observability be communicated to stakeholders, and what level of involvement is expected from various teams in the company? Communicating the implementation of observability to stakeholders is essential to ensure buy-in and support for the initiative. The principle behind this is to ensure that the implementation process is transparent, and all stakeholders are kept informed and involved.
5. How will challenges and risks be addressed during the implementation process, and what support will be provided to teams to overcome these challenges? Addressing challenges and risks during the implementation process is essential to ensure the success of observability. The principle behind this is to ensure that teams are supported throughout the implementation process and that any issues that arise are proactively addressed.

Overall, the principles behind setting expectations for introducing observability in the company are alignment with business objectives, clarity on expectations and timelines, data-driven success metrics, transparent communication, and proactive support for teams. By following these principles and asking the right questions, you can ensure a successful implementation of observability in your company.

I hope this short read clarified some aspects of getting the support required to adopt best practices on a larger scale in the company.

Best of luck, and let me know if you have any questions. Happy to share my experience in driving the initiative.