Kubernetes. The word alone can make you jump for joy or sprint for the hills. But like everything in IT, it’s something we need to learn and understand so we can make it less intimidating for others and actually do it right ourselves.
Today marks the start of my CKA journey. I want to become one of those people who can work confidently with Kubernetes, explain it clearly, and make it feel a whole lot less scary for anyone else walking into this space.
My background with Kubernetes has been… scattered. I’ll learn it for a work project, or spin it up in the homelab, then not touch it for months. By the time I come back, half the knowledge has vanished into the void. That’s the curse of tech. If you’re not surrounded by it every day, it fades. With Kubernetes, I don’t want that to happen. So I’m making the call to get hands on daily, and aiming for the CKA gives me a real target rather than another aimless “I’ll learn it someday” attempt that never sticks.
So, what’s the plan?
My first goal is to work through Mumshad Mannambeth’s course, which is fantastic. The hands on labs and clear explanations make it perfect for someone like me who learns by doing rather than just reading.
I’m also going to shift my entire homelab from Docker to Kubernetes and document the whole adventure on my YouTube channel.
On top of that, I’ll be writing weekly blog posts to cover what I’ve learned, what I struggled with, and what my goals are for the next week right up until my CKA exam. I don’t have a deadline yet, but having the goal itself is enough to keep me moving.
Honestly, I’ve been in a bit of a tech mental block lately. Burnout, uncertainty, and just not feeling that spark. But diving into Kubernetes and aiming to become an “expert” actually excites me. The last time I felt this kind of buzz was when I first got into cloud, and that ended up taking me to some awesome places and connected me with a lot of great people.
So let’s see where this goes. And being part of Portainer honestly feels like the best place to grow these skills. Stay tuned for the journey!
