It Takes a Village to Raise a Kubernetes: Reflections on the 1.8 Release

--- title: " It Takes a Village to Raise a Kubernetes " date: 2017-10-26 slug: it-takes-village-to-raise-kubernetes url: /blog/2017/10/It-Takes-Village-To-Raise-Kubernetes --- **_Editor’s note: this post is part of a [series of in-depth articles](https://kubernetes.io/blog/2017/10/five-days-of-kubernetes-18) on what's new in Kubernetes 1.8, written by Jaice Singer DuMars from Microsoft._** Each time we release a new version of Kubernetes, it’s enthralling to see how the community responds to all of the hard work that went into it. Blogs on new or enhanced capabilities crop up all over the web like wildflowers in the spring. Talks, videos, webinars, and demos are not far behind. As soon as the community seems to take this all in, we turn around and add more to the mix. It’s a thrilling time to be a part of this project, and even more so, the movement. It’s not just software anymore. When circumstances opened the door for me to lead the 1.8 release, I signed on despite a minor case of the butterflies. In a private conversation with another community member, they assured me that “being organized, following up, and knowing when to ask for help” were the keys to being a successful lead. That’s when I knew I could do it — and so I did. From that point forward, I was wrapped in a patchwork quilt of community that magically appeared at just the right moments. The community’s commitment and earnest passion for quality, consistency, and accountability formed a bedrock from which the release itself was chiseled. The 1.8 release team proved incredibly cohesive despite a late start. We approached even the most difficult situations with humor, diligence, and sincere curiosity. My experience leading large teams served me well, and underscored another difference about this release: it was more valuable for me to focus on leadership than diving into the technical weeds to solve every problem. Also, the uplifting power of [emoji in Slack](https://kubernetes.slack.com/archives/C2C40FMNF/p1506659664000090) cannot be overestimated. An important inflection point is underway in the Kubernetes project. If you’ve taken a ride on a “startup rollercoaster,” this is a familiar story. You come up with an idea so crazy that it might work. You build it, get traction, and slowly clickity-clack up that first big hill. The view from the top is dizzying, as you’ve poured countless hours of life into something completely unknown. Once you go over the top of that hill, everything changes. Breakneck acceleration defines or destroys what has been built. In my experience, that zero gravity point is where everyone in the company (or in this case, project) has to get serious about not only building something, but also maintaining it. Without a commitment to maintenance, things go awry really quickly. From codebases that resemble the Winchester Mystery House to epidemics of crashing production implementations, a fiery descent into chaos can happen quickly despite the outward appearance of success. Thankfully, the Kubernetes community seems to be riding our growth rollercoaster with increasing success at each release.

This blog post reflects on the Kubernetes 1.8 release, emphasizing the crucial role of community collaboration, quality focus, and maintenance in the project's success. The author, who led the 1.8 release, highlights the importance of leadership and community support. The Kubernetes project is at a crucial inflection point where maintaining the existing codebase is as important as building new features to ensure continued success.