Hey everyone,
First off, I owe all of you a genuine thank you. Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed the messages and emails asking why the blog went quiet. It’s pretty humbling to realize that what started as a small corner of the internet to post my thoughts and lessons out about cloud computing has turned into a community that actually notices when I’m not around. So, here’s the reason — I was completely off the grid, buried deep in study materials for something I’ve been working toward for a while: my Atlassian accreditations & credentials.
Yep, I dove headfirst into the Atlassian ecosystem to level up my understanding, and let me tell you—there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. Between using the Atlassian ecosystem for work and sharing my knowledge with others, I wanted to ensure that my skills at work were the best and the content I bring to this blog continues to stay top-tier. So, I figured it was time to get serious about my accreditations.
Why the Atlassian Certification?
To be clear, this wasn’t just because I wanted to add another badge to my LinkedIn (although, who doesn’t love a shiny new credential?). As more companies adopt Atlassian tools for their DevOps, project management, and IT service management needs, I felt it was critical to really understand the underlying architecture, best practices, and optimization techniques that can make or break a cloud implementation. Atlassian’s ecosystem is a massive part of modern cloud strategy, and cuts across a wide range such as if you’re scaling your infrastructure, automating workflows or streamlining team collaboration,
This certification and accreditation process wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. It involved weeks of intense studying, practical applications, and testing that really pushed me. But now that I’ve come out on the other side, I’ve got a whole new set of tools (and perspectives) to bring to our discussions here. I’ve been able to see firsthand how different tools when integrated with cloud platforms, can either streamline operations or turn into a complete bottleneck—depending on how it’s set up.
The Takeaways
If there’s one thing this whole experience reminded me of, it’s that even as “experts,” we’re never really done learning. I like to think I know my way around cloud infrastructure, DevOps, and automation but the deeper I went into Atlassian’s environment, the more I realized how much more there is to understand. It’s both humbling and exciting.
The certifications weren’t just theoretical either—there were plenty of real-world use cases baked into the learning process. Some accreditations had labs over 40+ hours I had to complete. This means I’ll be able to dive into some new blog for us.
What’s Next?
I’m back at it now, ready to share some deep-dive content on not just Atlassian, but also broader cloud computing trends, best practices and strategies that I know you all enjoy reading. I’m planning to go beyond the basics, especially since some of you are seasoned professionals in your own right, looking for more technical depth and practical insights.
I’ll also be engaging more with you all directly, be it through the comment section, email or our community group. I want to hear about your experiences with these tools and what challenges you’re facing. Maybe you’re scaling out your own Atlassian environment, or you’re looking to integrate it more tightly with your cloud infrastructure—let’s talk shop!
Thanks for Sticking Around
To everyone who stuck around during the hiatus, your patience means a lot. The time off gave me the opportunity to not just study and prepare for my certifications but also reflect on the direction of this blog and the kind of content I want to bring you. Spoiler alert: there’s a lot in the pipeline, and I’m excited to share it all with you.
Until next time (which, trust me, won’t be long), stay tuned for fresh content and, as always, feel free to drop me a message if you’ve got any specific topics you’d like me to cover.
Stay clouding,
Samuel Barden
Atlassian Accredited & Certified Professional