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Cover image for DevOps Done Right. Feedback Done Wrong.
Aleksandar Vlajkovic
Aleksandar Vlajkovic

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DevOps Done Right. Feedback Done Wrong.

I Delivered What Was Asked — And Learned More Than Expected

Some technical tasks are about infrastructure.

Others reveal something deeper — about communication, expectations, and how we value effort.

I was given a challenge: deploy Keycloak on Azure using Terraform, Ansible, and Docker.

The brief was clear. I followed it precisely.

Provisioned infrastructure. Automated setup. Delivered a working stack.

Documented everything. Protected the cloud from unintended costs.

All within the expected timeframe.

The feedback I received pointed to elements that weren’t part of the original task — realm creation, OAuth proxy, frontend security.

It made me pause. Not out of frustration, but reflection.


What I Built

  • Terraform: Modular provisioning of VM, NSG, public IP, and resource group
  • Ansible: Automated system setup and Docker installation
  • Docker Compose: Keycloak deployed with external PostgreSQL
  • GitHub Actions: CI/CD pipeline with safe defaults
  • Documentation: Clear README with dummy secrets and reproducible steps

Everything was scoped, delivered, and tested.

No shortcuts. No assumptions.


What Was Missing — and Why

Some elements mentioned in the feedback weren’t part of the original brief.

I didn’t create a Keycloak realm, merge Docker Compose into Ansible, or add OAuth proxy — because none of that was requested.

Had those been part of the task, I would’ve approached them with the same care and clarity.


What I Learned

  • Technical delivery is only one part of the equation
  • Communication gaps can reshape perception
  • Guessing requirements is risky — clarity must be mutual
  • Silence before feedback can feel heavier than the feedback itself
  • Every project, even the rejected ones, is a chance to refine your voice

Final Thoughts

I’m proud of what I built.

It reflects how I think, how I care, and how I deliver.

Even if it didn’t align with unspoken expectations, it aligned with the brief — and with my principles.

I’ll keep building.

I’ll keep asking better questions.

And I’ll keep choosing clarity over assumption.

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