Mastering Observability | Signal Drop

Merry Christmas, and thank you for keeping this alive

Author

Allan Mann
December 22, 2025

Friends,

As we close out the year, I wanted to send a proper thank you and wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and holiday.

I’ve had a lot of kind messages this year, and I don’t take that lightly. Thank you for staying subscribed, sharing the posts, and keeping the conversation going.

A quick lens on observability, from where I sit

We’ve all had frustrations with observability this year. Not the idea of it, but the reality of it.

The term gets stretched. Sometimes it gets sold like a magic trick. And when you’re the one dealing with real outages, you don’t need magic. You need clarity.

So here’s the plain-English definition I use:

Observability is being able to understand what’s happening inside a service by looking at the signals it gives off, so IT ops can spot issues early, fix them faster, and protect the customer experience before it turns into “everyone drop what you’re doing.”

That’s it. That’s the job.

What changes next

Going forward, I’m shifting the rhythm a bit so it’s more consistent and more useful.

You’ll get short Signal Drops like this more regularly. One point per email. Practical. Built around what’s actually happening in the real world, not what looks good on a slide.

These will lean more into:

  • What I’m learning about observability adoption (why it succeeds or fails)

  • The leadership and operating habits that make systems safer

  • The gaps between what we measure and what customers actually feel

And yes, the longer technical blogs will still continue, roughly every fortnight. Those will stay more detailed. The Signal Drops will stay sharp.

New for 2026: Metrics & Mayhem

One more change.

In 2026, I’m introducing a new thread under Mastering Observability called Metrics & Mayhem.

Same mission, just more honest about the messy bit: how teams really run systems under pressure, how decisions get made, how alerts get ignored, and what helps when it’s 2am and everyone is suddenly a “stakeholder”.

This Signal Drop format is the bridge into that.

The audio version

I’ve also started a small podcast called Metrics & Mayhem.

Short insights into what’s really going on in IT ops and observability, with no fluff.

Metrics & Mayhem

Podcast · Al Mann · Metrics & Mayhem is a straightforward take on real leadership. Short Signal Drops for quick weekly insight, and occasional deeper episodes when a topic needs space. After years in operations and observability, one truth keeps showing up: clarity beats noise. This show shares honest stories, practical lessons, and the kind of thinking that helps you lead well under pressure. No jargon. No fluff. Just signals that matter.

One question for you

Hit reply with this:

What was your biggest observability frustration this year, and what would you like to see improve in 2026?

One line is fine. I read every reply.

The Signal

I’m optimistic about where this space is going, but I’m keeping my scepticism close.

Tools help. Ideas help. But the real gains come from habits, clarity, and teams that are willing to learn in public.

Enjoy the break if you get one. And in 2026, let’s make observability more usable and more tied to the customer experience people actually feel.

Allan

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