The Pragmatic
CNCF Manifesto
A Battle-Tested Guide to Cloud Native Sanity
By Steve Wade, after 50+ enterprise migrations and too many YAML nightmares
We've Lost Our Minds
The Great CNCF Delusion
We've convinced ourselves that complexity is good. We think "big tech does it" means we should too. We believe "cloud native" requires complexity. That shipping software requires a PhD in Kubernetes YAML.
This ends now. I've rescued over 50 companies from poor architectural decisions. I've seen analysis paralysis by endless tool choices. I've watched brilliant engineers spend months debugging service meshes they never needed to use.
But let's be clear: the CNCF isn't the problem. The CNCF provides incredible tools and fosters innovation. The problem is our inability to choose wisely from this abundance.
50+
companies rescued from architectural disasters
Enterprise teams that chose complexity over business value
Months
spent debugging tools they never needed
Wasted productivity on over-engineered platforms
engineering - not business value engineering
Tools chosen for résumés, not customer problems
"This manifesto is for every platform engineer who's ever felt insane for asking, 'but do we actually need this?' It's for everyone who remembers when software was used to solve problems, not collect CNCF badges."
The Six Principles
A pragmatic framework for making cloud native technology decisions that actually serve your business and your team.
Business Value Over Resume Value
Choose tools that solve your problems, not your engineer's career goals
The most dangerous phrase in modern software development is 'let's use what the hyper-scalers use.' Choose tools for your system's needs, not your engineer's career goals.
Battle-Tested Over Bleeding-Edge
Ship software that works, not software that looks good on conference slides
Perfection is the enemy of shipped. A working monolith beats a broken microservice architecture. Three reliable tools beat fifteen cutting-edge ones.
Team Capacity Over Tool Collection
Measure success by features shipped, not services deployed
Every tool you add is a tax on your team's cognitive capacity. Tool addition should require the same level of justification as hiring a new employee.
Proven Patterns Over Blog Post Experiments
Deploy battle-tested solutions, not this week's trending repository
Your production environment is not a place to validate someone else's thesis. Use boring technology that works. Copy patterns, not implementations.
Sustainable Complexity Over Hyper-Scale Envy
Build what your team can maintain, not what impresses your peers
Your infrastructure should fit your team, not your aspirations. Can your team debug this at 3 AM? Can you hire people who understand this?
Reality Checks Over Requirements Documents
Stop pretending your requirements document prevents failure. Start asking questions that matter
Most "enterprise architecture" is defensive documentation that nobody reads. But buried in that bureaucracy are a few questions that actually prevent disasters.
Want the complete framework with detailed tests, examples, and anti-patterns?
Download the full manifesto below↓The Full Manifesto
Get the complete 10-page manifesto with the six principles, pragmatic CNCF stack recommendations, anti-patterns to avoid, and rules for tool adoption that actually work.
What You'll Get:
The Pragmatic CNCF Stack
Foundation, Growth, and Scale layers - what most companies actually need and when to add tools
Anti-Patterns We Must Stop
Hype-driven roadmaps, completionist fallacy, hyper-scale cargo cult, and premature optimization
Rules for Tool Adoption
The one-month rule, simplicity tax, and decision frameworks before adding any CNCF tool
Reality of Imposed Complexity
How to distinguish between necessary complexity (compliance, security) and optional complexity to fight
"The best platform engineering is invisible - teams ship features without thinking about infrastructure. Reward simplicity over sophistication. Celebrate engineers who remove complexity."
Download the Manifesto
About Steve Wade
The pragmatist fighting complexity in cloud native technology
Steve Wade has guided 50+ enterprise CNCF migrations, specialising in extracting teams from their own complexity. He believes the best platform is one your team forgets exists.
After watching teams drown in YAML and over-engineered architectures, Steve developed the Pragmatic CNCF Manifesto. He's declaring war on the cult of complexity, one migration at a time.
He specialises in teaching teams to distinguish between necessary and optional complexity, helping organisations make pragmatic technology decisions that serve business goals, not engineer career goals.
Credentials & Experience
Available for Speaking & Consulting
Bring the pragmatic CNCF message to your conference or team. Steve delivers practical, no-nonsense insights that engineering leaders actually want to hear.
Get in TouchJoin the Movement
If you believe that cloud native doesn't have to mean complexity native, sign this manifesto. Share it. Live it.
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Download the complete framework and join thousands of pragmatic engineers.
Download NowSpeaking & Consulting
Bring the pragmatic CNCF message to your team or conference. Steve delivers practical insights that engineering leaders actually want to hear.
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