It was another action packed week, but I must say that the most exciting topic for me was boring – boring infrastructure that is. As the container standards debate continues on, many have been quick to point out that the outcomes that we’re driving towards should be focused on the end user, not the technology itself. When it comes to enabling the business, never underestimate the power of boring.

Industry

• A notable by-product of the digital transformation era is that IT is no longer considered a cost center. CIOs are tasked with getting the most out of technology investments, which means delivering results to the business. Dan O'Shea explains Why more and more retailers are outsourcing their IT [Retail Dive]

• Speaking of technology investments, more is not always better. It’s about understanding the consumer and putting forth the best, most personal experience. Doug Stevens shares some best practices and harsh truths for the modern retailer. How to Give Retail Customers Something Unique, Memorable, And Valuable [Incredibly]

Culture

• Process improvements require constant communication, but in highly technical roles, we can often get stuck 'in the weeds'. Jen Krieger shares advice for teams. Coffee Shop DevOps: How to use feedback loops to get smarter [opensource]

• Implementing a culture of change within a distributed enterprise organization is a daunting task that can backfire if not handled properly. Margo Cronin provides practical advice for incorporating a DevOps mindset within the constructs of familiarity. Respect Your Organisational Monolith [InfoQ]

Technology

• Netflix pioneered the microservices architecture, and has continued to improve their complex backend. From their Tech Blog, Katharina Probst and Justin Becker dive into how they plan to split the API service into two, with the implications in doing so. Always nice to see such levels of transparency. Engineering Trade-Offs and The Netflix API Re-Architecture [Netflix]

• On the topic of boring, Bob Wise shares thoughts on Docker’s role in the ecosystem, and how he believes the Cloud Native Computing Foundation should govern container standards. An Ode to Boring: Creating Open and Stable Container World [Medium]

Experience

• When app categories become crowded as the food delivery services have grown to be (at least in San Francisco), the distinguishing factors often come down to the app UX itself. Nikki Gilliand compares two such apps in detail. UberEats vs. Deliveroo: A comparison of the app user experience [Econsultancy]

• The folks over at UsabilityGeek did us all a service by compiling a list of top brands’ UI/UX guidelines. Aside from a useful reference point, it’s interesting to browse through and get a peek into how many brands perceive themselves. Official Usability, User Experience And User Interface Guidelines From Companies [UsabilityGeek]