The Phoenix Project

The authors frame their parable around a failing auto parts manufacturer and seller, Parts Unlimited. In deep trouble, it brings in a new vice president of IT operations, Bill Palmer. His initial reaction to his promotion is, “No, no, no. The last thing I want is a promotion.” Palmer’s unease was understandable. Parts Unlimited had gone through a squad of new chief information officers, each one lasting about two years. At Parts Unlimited, CIO stood for “Career Is Over.” Vice presidents of IT didn’t do much better. Palmer quickly became the subject of criticism from senior executives. But he turned out to be right for the job. After some trial and error, he instituted a DevOps system to get the firm’s business units, including software development and IT, working together smoothly and productively. This helped him turn the company around. 

Though business book parables can be irritating, this one flows naturally and presents a needed overview of DevOps before the book delves into functional details. The last eight chapters offer straight, useful reporting on DevOps, but the set-up requires you to weave through the parable to get to the meat – a vital, highly detailed, albeit technical rundown on DevOps.