At first, I thought DevOps was only for ops teams or huge companies. But over time, I realized that adopting a few key DevOps practices can seriously improve any developer’s workflow — even on small projects.
Here are 5 habits I’ve picked up that save me time, stress, and confusion.
🧪 1. Automate tests from the first commit
I used to run tests manually (when I remembered).
✅ Now, every push triggers automated tests (with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, etc.). Fewer regressions, more peace of mind.
📦 2. Keep CI/CD pipelines simple but solid
No need for overly complex 12-step pipelines.
✅ A clean setup for me: tests → build → lint → deploy (staging → production). Versioned, reliable, easy to maintain.
🔐 3. Never hardcode secrets
Yep, I’ve done it. Didn’t end well.
✅ These days, I use environment variables and secret managers (Vault, Doppler, AWS Secrets Manager… anything but plain text).
🔁 4. Reproduce production locally (as much as possible)
Ever had code that worked in prod but not locally — or vice versa?
✅ Docker, docker-compose, or minikube help me keep dev and prod close enough. Fewer surprises.
📈 5. Monitor what you deploy
Shipping code is great. Knowing it’s running fine is even better.
✅ I always add at least basic logging, alerts, and uptime checks. It’s like wearing a seatbelt.
📌 I’m not a full-time DevOps engineer — but bringing these habits into my daily workflow has changed the way I build and ship software. Less firefighting, more control.
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