Why Kubernetes Is Probably Wrong for Your Mid-Sized Company

Engineering leader Tom Barber challenges the default adoption of Kubernetes, sharing why simpler alternatives often serve mid-sized companies better and how to make pragmatic infrastructure decisions.Episode 12: Why Kubernetes Is Probably Wrong for Your Mid-Sized CompanyKey Topics CoveredThe Kubernetes Reality CheckWhy most mid-sized companies don't need Kubernetes complexityThe hidden costs: maintenance, YAML management, and developer experienceReal-world example from NASA: when impressive engineering doesn't solve business problemsUnderstanding Kubernetes ContextOrigins from Google's Borg system designed for massive scaleCore benefits: fault tolerance, auto-scaling, declarative infrastructureWhy these benefits require significant investment to realizeThe Real DownsidesComplexity: Even cloud vendors are building products to hide KubernetesYAML Everything: Config management becomes a people and process problemCost at Scale: Engineering hours, infrastructure, and mental health costsDeveloper Experience: High barrier to entry and friction in feedback loopsPortability Mirage: Cross-cloud deployment still requires deep vendor knowledgeWhen Kubernetes Makes SenseGenuine scale requirements (dozens/hundreds of services)Multiple teams with dedicated platform engineering capacityComplex deployment patterns that serve real business needsPractical AlternativesVMs with Docker: Boring is good, boring is maintainableManaged Container Services: ECS/Fargate, Cloud Run, Azure Container AppsServerless: Lambda, Cloud Functions for event-driven workloadsSimple Deployment Scripts: Often cheaper than cluster managementDecision Framework: Do You Actually Need Kubernetes?What specific problem are you solving?Do you have dedicated team capacity?What's your actual scale (services, teams, traffic)?How frequently do you deploy?Have you exhausted simpler options?Resources MentionedFree Download: "You Actually Need Kubernetes" Checklist (available in show notes)Consulting: Concept Cloud - Pragmatic infrastructure decisions for mid-sized companiesWebsite: www.conceptcloud.comContact: [email protected] Episode PreviewEpisode 13: "Why Your Engineers and Product Managers Still Don't Talk to Each Other (And How to Actually Fix It)"Engineering Evolved is the podcast for engineering leaders at mid-sized companies who are tired of getting advice that only works for startups or enterprises.Chapters0:00 - Introduction: The Kubernetes Controversy3:00 - A Personal Story: Getting It Wrong at NASA4:58 - Understanding Kubernetes: Context and Core Benefits7:07 - The Real Downsides: Complexity, Cost, and Developer Experience10:49 - When Kubernetes Actually Makes Sense13:39 - Practical Alternatives to Kubernetes15:51 - Decision Framework: Do You Actually Need It?18:36 - Wrap-up and Next Episode Preview

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