Скачать или смотреть #108

Let’s get the latest on Monitoring as Code with Hannes Lenke, CEO and Co-founder of Checkly, in this episode of the Alphalist CTO Podcast. Hannes' journey spans over a decade, starting with AI-powered mobile testing tools in the early 2010s, followed by cloud-based browser testing at Sauce Labs, and now leading innovation in synthetic monitoring, testing systems as if they’re live in production.
His role in this space has evolved over time—but what else has he learned along the way?
Listen to find out:
👀 What is "Monitoring as Code," and how does it differ from traditional observability?
🚀 Why did Checkly start with PLG but later need a Sales team?
👥🏗️ How is Checkly’s team of 40 organized between feature development and platform engineering?
🕵️ Do dedicated QA teams still have a place in modern DevOps, or is automation the future?
⚙️ What stack does Checkly use to run customer code at scale?

Listen here: https://alphalist.com/podcast/108-han...

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[00:00:37] – Introduction to Alphalist Podcast
Tobias introduces the podcast and its mission to empower CTOs with insights from top tech leaders.

[00:01:32] – Meet Hannes Lenke
Hannes gives an overview of his company, Checkly, and his role as CEO of a PLG SaaS company with Series B funding.

[00:02:16] – Balancing Technical and Managerial Roles
Hannes discusses the transition from coding to focusing on product and company decisions, while still getting his hands into technical work occasionally.

[00:04:40] – Hiring the Right People
Checkly is focused on hiring “great people” rather than scaling team size rapidly. Hannes explains why quality over quantity is crucial in their growth strategy.

[00:07:17] – Hannes’s Journey into Computing
Hannes talks about his first steps into computing in East Germany, learning HTML, playing browser games, and discovering automation through early programming.

[00:10:21] – Early Business Ventures and Lessons Learned
The story of Hannes's first company, TestObject, where he tried applying AI to mobile testing, nearly ran out of money, and eventually pivoted to a cloud testing solution.

[00:16:00] – Globalizing a Berlin-Based Business
Hannes reflects on scaling his first business globally and the challenges of dealing with payment solutions in the early days, pre-Stripe.

[00:20:24] – The Birth of Checkly and Monitoring as Code
Hannes explains how Checkly was born from the need for better tools optimized for developers, focusing on monitoring APIs and websites at scale using "monitoring as code."

[00:22:10] – How DevOps Changed QA
The shift in testing and automation roles with the rise of DevOps. Hannes outlines how developers have become key players in automation.

[00:30:02] – The Right Observability Stack for SaaS
Hannes’s take on observability: why it's important to give clear signals about what’s actually broken, and how Checkly integrates with other tools like Datadog and New Relic.

[00:36:49] – Cross-Functional Teams vs. Dedicated QA
Why Hannes believes cross-functional teams are more effective than dedicated QA teams, particularly in the fast-moving world of DevOps.

[00:50:01] – PLG with Enterprise Sales
Checkly’s team structure and how they cater to enterprise clients with features like permission management.

[00:53:02] – Lessons Learned as a Second-Time Founder
Hannes reflects on the challenges of starting a second company and the importance of pacing yourself, staying customer-focused, and learning to scale.

[00:56:29] – What Fascinates Hannes Right Now
Hannes shares his recent experience with autonomous vehicles and test driving a Waymo in San Francisco.

[01:00:07] – Advice to His Younger Self
Hannes’s advice to his younger self: start his company sooner and think globally from the outset.