We Didn’t Need Observability Tools-We Needed to Start Asking the Right Questions
Article summary
We thought adding a dashboard would solve our visibility problem. It didn’t. We wired up logs, metrics, and traces. We bought a tool. We configured alerts. But when something went wrong in production, we still found ourselves asking: “What just happened?” It wasn’t a tooling issue. It was a clarity issue. We hadn’t defined what “healthy” looked like. We hadn’t agreed on what mattered. And most of the metrics we were collecting were noise. This post isn’t about what observability tool to buy. It’s about how we shifted our thinking-from collecting data, to asking better questions.
Read Full Article on MediumPractical takeaway
The main idea behind We Didn’t Need Observability Tools-We Needed to Start Asking the Right Questions is to help teams move from broad theory to clear, repeatable decision making. When teams apply this thinking, they reduce ambiguity and focus on improvements that deliver measurable momentum.
Example scenario
Imagine a team facing competing priorities. By applying the ideas in We Didn’t Need Observability Tools-We Needed to Start Asking the Right Questions, they can map dependencies, identify risks and choose the next move that produces progress without destabilizing their system.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Trying to redesign everything instead of taking small steps.
- Ignoring real constraints like incentives, ownership or legacy systems.
- Creating documents that do not lead to any change in code or decisions.
How to apply this in real work
Start by identifying where We Didn’t Need Observability Tools-We Needed to Start Asking the Right Questions already shows up in your architecture or delivery flow. Then pick one area where clarity would reduce friction. Apply the idea, measure its effect and share the learning.
Signs you are doing it correctly
- Teams make decisions faster and with fewer disagreements.
- Architectural conversations become clearer and less abstract.
- Changes land safely with fewer surprises or rework cycles.