|
|
|
|
Look at that! In literally the final hours of the year, I manage to send out another newsletter. Deadlines never fail.
|
|
This year was a struggle for me, but it also had some high points. Allow me to tell you about both.
|
|
|
|
|
Mentor Monologue
|
Room for improvement
Running Monospace Mentor on the side of my day job leading a small hosting business has been a challenge, and, if I'm honest, a weight on my conscience this year.
|
There are probably many reasons for my difficulties coming out with new learning content. A likely one is that I'm often too optimistic about what I can achieve in a particular time frame. But a more concerning reason was that all too often, I simply did not have the energy to implement my plans. Over the holidays, I'm having two weeks off, significant parts of which I've been pondering this energy issue. I'm pretty sure that I need to tackle it from multiple angles such as planning, organization, and recovery. If you'd like me to share the results of my personal performance review and mitigation measures, let me know in a reply!
|
Another issue is managing expectations. One of my long-time business tactics is "Underpromise, Then Overdeliver". I'm afraid that I've done the opposite with Monospace Mentor lately. As mentioned, I'm working on the delivery side of things. In 2026, I'll also be more cautious with what I'll promise.
|
As a consequence, I've decided to stop pressuring myself to do live streams. They'll be bonus material, except for the course live streams. I'll instead put time into producing pre-recorded videos. I'll publish them on my website and on YouTube once they're finished, trusting that a more regular schedule will emerge when I hit a groove.
|
For this newsletter, I'll take the same approach. I've already collected plenty of topic ideas. Making sure that I have enough time and energy to turn these ideas into prose will be the real work. Maybe deadlines will play a role in that, too.
|
Solid foundations
I'm happy that, looking back, I also have successes to report!
|
The extensive materials for my course "Basic Linux System Administration" that I finished in the summer prove that I can get a substantial project done if I set my mind to it. And giving the course on my live stream has been a lot of fun, both for the viewers and for myself. We'll resume the weekly schedule on Thursday next week.
|
Also in next week will be the launch of the next cohort of the instructor-led course. It's going to progress on a much faster pace than the live stream with its only-one-chapter-per-week cadence. If your career (or even just your confidence) could benefit from a boost of your sysadmin skills, sign up now! There's no course fee; all my cohort-based courses are freely available to members of The Server Room at the GROW and THRIVE levels. And exclusively for newsletter readers, I'm offering a whopping limited-time 50% discount for the full lifetime of your membership: Use "NY2026" at sign-up, and do it now so you can take part from the very start!
|
Speaking of The Server Room, my community for DevOps practitioners has visibly solidified in 2025. The community forum has become a lively communications hub. It's nicely complemented by our bridged chat channels on IRC and Discord. The value of this community is proportional to its active members count, and I mean the value for its members. Which is why, in 2026, I'm going to focus on keeping existing members engaged on one hand, and on adding new members on the other. Have I mentioned that there's a limited-time discount that'll cut your membership fees in half? The coupon code is "NY2026".
|
Is this thing on?
In summary, there will be more DevOps learning content from me in 2026. That's a promise I intend to keep no matter what. I'll work out (and, if you're interested, share) a more effective way to deliver it. And I'm going to enjoy the heck out of supporting the fantastic people who make up my DevOps community in The Server Room. I think that's a good plan. What do you say?
|
You know, this newsletter intentionally comes from my personal address because I love being in touch with my community. So, if you'd like to share with me your own struggles in 2025, your plans for 2026, or how I could better help you grow your DevOps skills and knowledge, feel free to hit the Reply button!
|
|
Happy New Year, DevOps friends, see you next week!
|
|
|
|
|
Do you find my content helpful?
If so, please consider signing up for a membership in The Server Room! You have a choice of several membership levels, each creating value for you that far exceeds its membership fee.
|
A membership in The Server Room is much more than just a gesture of appreciation.
It is an investment into your own growth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks for reading!
|
I hope you found my News from The Server Room enjoyable and helpful. If you have any feedback or questions, simply reply to this email!
|
|
|
I'd love it if my writing could reach more people like you. Does someone come to mind? Forward them this newsletter and suggest they subscribe themselves!
|
|
Jochen, the Monospace Mentor
|
|
    
|
|
|
|