learn pulumi learn pulumi Intro Ever tried learning a new DevOps tool or technology and ended up stuck in a loop of confusing tutorials? Or maybe you’ve worked through every guide but still don’t feel confident? Whether it’s Kubernetes, cloud platforms, or infrastructure as code, this is a common challenge in our field.
Today we’re going to solve this problem, using Pulumi as our example, but in a unique way that applies to learning any DevOps skill.
Alexander has built an incredible learning path for mastering Pulumi, and I’ve been deep in the research on how people actually learn complex technical skills. We’re going to combine these to give you both the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of effective learning.
Alexander will walk us through parts of his learning path, and I’ll jump in between to share fascinating research that shows exactly why his approach is so effective. The principles we’ll cover apply whether you’re learning Pulumi, picking up a new cloud platform, or mastering any other DevOps tool.
We’re talking about research from MIT, studies that transformed how we think about learning technology, and findings that will probably surprise you.
By the end of this session, you’ll not only have a clear path to Pulumi mastery, but you’ll understand principles that will help you learn any complex technical skill more effectively.
Questions So Alexander, you call yourself a DevOPs enthusiast, how did you get your start in the field? Why did you want to put together this learning path? I’d like to learn how to use Pulumi - where do you think I should start?
What is the next step in the learning path?
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in how teams handle infrastructure over your career? How has infrastructure as code changed how teams work? What skills do you think are becoming most important for DevOps engineers? What makes a DevOps team successful when adopting new tools? Guide to Learning Pulumi Effectively Hey everyone! Before we dive into Pulumi, I want to share some really interesting findings about how people best learn complex technical skills. Research consistently shows that with the right approach, anyone can master new technologies - it’s not about natural talent, it’s about how you learn. Let me walk you through five key recommendations that can help make your Pulumi learning journey more effective and enjoyable.
- Environment Setup Research shows that for beginners, most of the cognitive load in learning to program isn’t from the programming concepts themselves - it’s from wrestling with environment setup, IDE configuration, and tooling. When researchers studied why students struggle with programming, they found this ‘surrounding complexity’ was often a bigger barrier than the actual coding concepts. You want to focus on learning Pulumi, not fighting with your tools.
Remove technical barriers before diving into learning Ensure all prerequisites and configurations are in place first Get your workspace right so you can focus on learning Question: What setup challenges do you see come up most often in workshops?
- Have a Motivating Project Having something concrete you want to build makes all the difference. MIT research found that students learn technical skills dramatically faster when working on projects they personally care about - they called it “hard fun”. When you’re invested in what you’re building, even challenging parts become engaging rather than frustrating.
Start with something personal and visible - like deploying your own website to the cloud Build something you can share - like setting up a photo sharing site with cloud storage Choose projects with quick feedback loops so you can see your progress and stay motivated Question: what kinds of projects do you find really engage people? Do you see a difference when people are working on something they can relate to?"
- Follow Established Learning Paths While it might be tempting to forge your own path, research shows that following well-structured learning paths is like taking a highway instead of bushwhacking through undergrowth. You’ll progress much faster when following established patterns than when discovering concepts on your own. This is why I’m excited that we’re about to see a clear learning path for Pulumi - it’s going to save everyone a lot of time.
Start with standard Pulumi tutorials and documentation Don’t try to blaze your own trail initially Build on what others have already figured out Question: What concepts do you make sure everyone masters before moving on?
- Leverage Pair Programming The research is really interesting here - while pair programming’s benefits for day-to-day development work are debated, its value for learning is clear and dramatic. Studies at the University of Utah found that pairs learning together completed tasks in about half the time of solo learners, with higher quality results. You don’t need an expert - even two people learning together can significantly improve their learning speed and understanding.
Find a peer who’s also learning Pulumi to work through challenges with Share your screen and talk through problems - it helps both people learn Catch each other’s mistakes and fill knowledge gaps together Question: Have you tried different formats - solo work versus paired work? What seemed most effective?
- Focus on Mastery Research has shown that ensuring you’ve mastered each concept before moving on can transform average performers into top performers. This is especially true with infrastructure as code, where later concepts build heavily on earlier ones. Taking time to fully understand each piece might feel slower at first, but it dramatically speeds up learning in the long run.
Master core concepts before moving to advanced features If something’s unclear, backtrack and fill the knowledge gaps Test your understanding by explaining concepts to others Question: How do you check for understanding? What was a key in your mastery?
Outro And so that is our learning path and our research-backed strategies for learning not just Pulumi, but any complex DevOps skill! Whether you’re diving into Kubernetes, picking up a new cloud platform, or mastering infrastructure as code, these learning principles will help you get there faster.
For your next steps:
Check out Alexander’s Pulumi learning path - link in the description Visit Pulumi.com to explore the amazing learning resources Subscribe to this channel for more content like this And here’s a challenge for you: Pick one DevOps skill you want to learn, find a learning buddy, and commit to tackling it together. Research shows that’s one of the most effective ways to learn! Drop a comment below letting us know what skill you’re planning to master next.
Thanks for watching!
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