In the following interview, we dwelled into conversation
about DevOps, its possibilities, how businesses can implement well-organized DevOps solutions
to achieve exceptional business outcomes that have the capability to change the
world and make it a better place.
Furthermore, the interview discussion also gave
industry-insights on exceptional technologies like Agile, CI/CD, DevOps,
DevSecOps, Site Reliability Engineering, Cloud Computing, Virtualization,
Containerization, Orchestration, Infrastructure as Code, etc. that businesses
can adopt for a sustainable future.
Throughout the interview, Yann Mulonda was positive &
insightful. He spoke about his role, how he started his journey and what made
him interested in the field of technology, the functionalities &
applications of DevOps, and much more. So, without any further ado, let’s
begin!
Anil: Before we begin the interview, please give a brief
introduction.
Yann: At age of 12, when I began secondary school, I decided to pursue an
education in electronics at a technical institute (Salama Technical Institute)
in my home country, DRCongo. During those years of middle and high school, the
more I learned about science and technology, the more I developed a deeper
interest in technology and computers. When I graduated from High School with an
Electronic Technician Diploma, I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew
up: I wanted to become an “engineer.” My journey led to traveling around the
world in pursuit of higher education, From Congo to India, to the United
States.
I’m now an IT professional with a background education in
Electronics and Computer Networking. I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer
Science and Information Technology as well as a master of science in Software
Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. My work experience consists of Site
Reliability Engineering, DevOps Engineering, Software Engineering, Full-Stack
Software Development, Cloud Computing, and Computer Networking &
Architecture.
I’m currently Co-founder and CIO at ITOT Africa and Lead
Senior Site Reliability Engineer at ICF.
Anil: What responsibilities do you have as a CIO?
Yann: My responsibilities can be summarized into the following:
- Manage
the company system related to IT processes and planning
- Conduct
research on leading-edge technologies and provides determinants on the
probability of implementation
- Direct
the company’s strategic direction, development, and future growth as it
concerns technical aspects
- Provide
leadership to department heads to support the company’s culture, mission, and
values
Anil: What possibilities does DevOps have?
Yann: First of all, when you hear terms like Waterfall, SCRUM, Sprint, Agile,
Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, Continuous Deployment, DevOps,
etc; we need to think of those terms as a way of doing something, and not a
skill set, a framework tool, or technology that can be boxed into a hardware
device that solves IT problems.
There are “no 12 steps” to successful DevOps
implementation. It is pretty much just applying those concepts to
create a workflow that works better for your team or organization.
So with this in mind, the possibilities of DevOps are
determined by a team or an organization’s ability to implement and apply DevOps
core values and practices in their thinking approach to solve their IT
problems.
Anil: Can DevOps help businesses achieve exceptional
outcomes? If yes, how?
Yann: Yes, the benefits of a well-implemented DevOps will likely lead to
business growth and successful outcomes by:
- Increasing
the rate of software delivery and faster time to market
- Maintaining
better business focus by automating the infrastructure
- Creating
higher software quality and efficiency
- Fewer
Bugs
- Lowering
the cost of delivery (new features, etc.)
Anil: Except for DevOps, what other technology can bring
revolutionary change?
Yann: Periodically, the introduction of new concepts, methods, and ways of
doing things revolutionizes the IT industry and pushes the needle forward.
Examples of these revolutionary technologies are Version control, Agile, CI/CD,
DevOps, DevSecOps, Site Reliability Engineering, Cloud
Computing, Virtualization, Containerization, Orchestration,
Infrastructure as Code, etc.
With these new concepts, methods, and ways of doing
things — come tools — lots of them. They are built to provide the medium for IT
professionals to implement those new concepts, methods, or processes for their
Organizations.
Site Reliability Engineering and Infrastructure as Code are
bringing revolutionary changes and immense business value to IT teams and
organizations that have implemented SRE and IaC best practices.
Anil: What principles do you have in life that you never
compromise on?
Yann: I tried to clearly define very early on in my adult life what success
means to me and which aspects or things in my life take priority. I believe
that how I measure success in my business or personal life defines what I’m
willing to do and not do, and I use these principles as a guiding force to make
decisions.
Professionally, my motivations are the opportunities to
learn, grow in responsibility, contribute new skills, and be a part of those
who change the world for the better through science and technology. At the end
of my professional life, I want to be able to point at something great and say:
“I am part of that!”
Above and beyond everything I can possibly do in my lifetime,
I define my biggest accomplishment as building my family and meaningful
relationships within the communities I live. A successful life to me means
having a rewarding relationship with my wife, raising great kids, contributing
to others’ lives, and serving communities.
So whenever I’m dealing with challenges, I always remind
myself: “People matter and take priority over anything else”. I define what’s
important to me and I don’t let what is urgent drown out what is important.
Anil: What are your thoughts on IT security?
Yann: Security is everything. Implementing security measures
can seem tedious, uncomfortable, important but not urgent, and expensive, but
the cost of lack of security comes with a price tag that is far more expensive.
Which will take time for many organizations to recover from and put some
completely out of business. Investing in security early is key to business
success.
Anil: Can you share any instance or personal story that
inspired you to pursue your career in DevOps?
Yann: My first ever IT job as a Junior in college was an internship for a
DevOps engineer position. I learned everything I could about the position
within the first 2 to 3 weeks of the internship, dived right into it by working
on implementation phases, and loved every moment of it. I eventually went on to
working in other roles such as Full-Stack Developer, Software Engineer, Cloud
Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief
Information Officer.
Anil: Do you like to read? If yes, can you tell us your
favorite book?
Yann: I enjoy listening to audiobooks. It allows me to learn while doing
other daily tasks like cooking, and cleaning. It’s a way to compensate for
being a slow reader. English is my 5th language, so I find listening is my
preferred way of learning new things. My favorite book I’ve listened to in the
last year is How to Be a No Limit-Person by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. It helped shift
my thinking to see opportunities, not obstacles. I also read John C. Maxwell’s
Maxwell Daily Reader, a compilation of his books on leadership in a daily
devotional style.
Anil: What, according to you, is the best way to get the best
out of people?
Yann: I’d say you get the best out of people when there is a sense of purpose
in the vision and goals your team is trying to accomplish and your team feels a
sense of fulfillment in the work they do each day.
Anil: As a CIO, how much importance do you attach to your
employee’s mental health?
Yann: Well, I believe it goes without saying that employees’ mental health is
as important as an engine in a car. Furthermore, the whole car needs proper
care and regular maintenance for safety, efficiency, reliability, and best
performance. You take care of the car engine by taking care of all the parts
that go into or connect to the engine like filter, oil, etc.
Anil: How much is cybersecurity crucial, according to you?
And how can it be used to stop fraud cases?
Yann: Security has always been very important, in the era we live in now, the
digital stage, cybersecurity is crucial more than ever.
In an overly simplified way, I’ll say we can reduce fraud
cases by enforcing these 2 main things: Authentication and authorization. To
assure that anyone who accesses any resources is who they say they are and they
have permission to do what they want to do.
Of course, how we protect something depends on the nature of
that object. There are many cybersecurity best practices that can be
implemented to properly enforce authentication and authorization.
The golden rule is: avoid the “secure enough” mentality — always
keep in mind there is no such thing as being 100% secure. Security is a
continuous task.
Anil: How can we/someone reach you?
Yann: My social media handles:
- Linkedin:
linkedin.com/in/yannmjl
- Website:
yannmjl.medium.com
- Twitter:
twitter.com/YannMjl
Ending
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about web
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much more. We are eager to speak with you and talk about cutting-edge
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