Observability's Past, Present, and Future
05 Jan, 2026
In my last post, Round Two, I wrote about my career, my passion for dev tools, and my decision to start a new company focused on observability.
I also wrote about my frustration with observability as it exists today. Why are the tools and workflows so bad? Why does it feel like so much work?
In today's post, I want to unpack that frustration by looking at observability in historical context. I'll examine observability through a simple three-part lens: its past, present, and future.
My goal is to understand and explain:
Why observability emerged in the first place How observability evolved into the mess it is today Why, despite all the progress we've made, maintaining reliable systems is still SO hard in 2026
Let's go!
PART 1: OBSERVABILITY'S PAST
To understand observability, it helps to look at the environment that gave rise to it.
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