Title

AWS re:Invent 2022 - Shift left the proper way (PRT082)

Summary

The concept of "shift left" originated with the idea of moving testing earlier in the development process.
Over time, the shift left approach expanded to include various responsibilities such as security, networking, infrastructure provisioning, and more, leading to an untenable workload for developers.
The speaker argues that engineers should be empowered with the right information at the right time, rather than being burdened with additional tasks.
Automation of the software delivery lifecycle is crucial to provide engineers with necessary information without adding to their workload.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of providing actionable insights to engineers at the right time, such as cost implications of infrastructure choices and security scan results.
The talk suggests that specialized teams (security, infrastructure, DevOps) should create templates and guardrails to facilitate the right actions without overloading engineers.
The speaker introduces Harness's CI tool, claiming it to be the world's fastest, and invites attendees to visit their booth for more information on how to shift left effectively.

The shift left philosophy has evolved beyond its original intent, leading to developers being overloaded with responsibilities outside their expertise.
The speaker highlights a common industry problem where engineers spend less time coding and more time on ancillary tasks, which can lead to job dissatisfaction and reduced productivity.
There is a call for a more strategic approach to shift left, focusing on information flow rather than task redistribution.
Automation is presented as a key solution to ensure that engineers receive timely and relevant information to make informed decisions without being overwhelmed by the operational aspects of software delivery.
The talk suggests that the use of templates and guardrails can help maintain standards and efficiency without stifling innovation.
The speaker's company, Harness, is positioned as a solution provider that can help organizations implement these strategies effectively, with a particular emphasis on their new CI tool's performance.