Kubernetes World: Finding Your Path
Kubernetes is more than containers and YAML files. It's a thriving ecosystem of contributors, companies, and career paths. This book shows you how to find your place in it.
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What's Actually in This Book
Kubernetes isn't just about YAML files and pods.
It's an entire world of people, companies, and communities. This book maps it all out through real conversations with the people who built and shaped it.
Five chapters, five different angles:
- The Landscape: Who actually runs Kubernetes? CNCF, vendors, startups—and how the money flows
- The Paths: Are you a coder? A teacher? A builder? Stories of how different people found their place
- The Currency: What actually matters—GitHub commits, conference talks, certifications, or something else?
- The Market: Real data on jobs, salaries, and what companies actually want (spoiler: it's not just CKA certs)
- The Journey: How to build your own path without burning out or getting lost
Learn from people who've actually done it—not theory, but real experiences from real people.
Featured Guests
Bob KillenSenior Technical Program Manager at CNCF
Taylor DolezalHead of OSS at Dosu
Kaslin FieldsDeveloper Relations Engineering Manager at Google
Katie GreenleyOSS Community Manager at Chronosphere
Lin SunHead of Open Source at solo.io
Prasanth BaskarSoftware Engineer at CNCF
Cortney NickersonHead of Community at Nirmata
Phil EstesPrincipal Engineer at AWS
Emily LongCEO at Edera
Yasmin RajabiCOO at CloudBolt
Jorge CastroDeveloper Relations at CNCF
Whitney LeeSenior Technical Advocate at Datadog
Foreword
"There's no manual for breaking into Kubernetes. You can read the documentation, watch the talks, and earn the certifications. But none of that actually teaches you how to become part of the community—how to move from watching on the sidelines to becoming someone people recognize and trust."
"The people in this book started confused, out of place, and uncertain. What they did next is the subject of this book. Now you have the book they never had."
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Features exclusive interviews with maintainers, founders, and community leaders who've built their careers in the cloud native world.
Meet the Authors
Gulcan Topcu is a cloud-native engineer and certified Kubernetes Administrator with deep expertise in Python and DevOps. She makes Kubernetes more accessible by amplifying the voices of practitioners navigating real-world cloud-native challenges.
Bart Farrell is the host of KubeFM and has organized over 250 cloud native events across 10 countries. Coming from a non-technical background, his ability to build lasting relationships has connected the cloud native community worldwide.
