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Final call on SRE framework decisions, without escalation

$199.00
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A tailored course, built for your situation

Final call on SRE framework decisions, without escalation

Own the architecture and toolchain choices in your SRE engagements from day one

$199 one-time
24-hour access provisioning 30-day money-back guarantee Hand-built implementation playbook
12 modules. 12 chapters per module. 144 chapters total.
12 modules, each with 12 chapters (144 chapters total), text-based, plus downloadable templates and a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.

Who this is for

CKA Certified SRE at a global tech consultancy, operating as an individual contributor with high technical trust, routinely leading on-call rotations, incident response, and Kubernetes configuration in client environments.

Who this is not for

Managers seeking team-wide process rollout, or those new to Kubernetes without certification or production experience.

What you walk away with

  • Final call on observability stack selection (metrics, logging, tracing) per engagement
  • Own incident command hierarchy design, tier assignment, escalation triggers, comms flow
  • No senior review needed for standard SLO definitions or error budget policies
  • Authority to enforce K8s configuration standards across clusters
  • First review on runbook templates, with client stakeholders routed to you for sign-off

The 12 modules (with all 144 chapters)

Module 1. Defining engagement-level SRE scope
Set the boundaries of your SRE authority at project kick-off. Define what you own: tooling, alerting, response roles, and compliance thresholds.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Mapping client needs to SRE ownership zones
  2. Setting decision rights in the first client meeting
  3. Documenting your scope in the onboarding memo
  4. Aligning stakeholder expectations early
  5. Choosing your level of control: full vs shared
  6. Defining ‘standard’ vs ‘exceptional’ decisions
  7. Using past certifications as leverage
  8. Positioning CKA as table stakes, not ceiling
  9. Negotiating autonomy in hybrid teams
  10. Avoiding overreach while claiming ownership
  11. Setting escalation thresholds proactively
  12. First draft of your decision log template
Module 2. Own the observability stack
Make and justify final decisions on monitoring tools, data retention, and alert routing without escalation.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Choosing between Prometheus and OpenTelemetry
  2. Setting log retention based on compliance tier
  3. Routing alerts to on-call without review
  4. Deciding sampling rates for traces
  5. Choosing visualization layers per team maturity
  6. Enforcing tagging standards at ingestion
  7. Opting in or out of managed backends
  8. Setting thresholds for synthetic checks
  9. Finalizing topology maps per environment
  10. Documenting your stack choices for audit
  11. Responding to stakeholder pushback
  12. Updating stack decisions post-review
Module 3. Design incident command structure
Set incident response roles, comms channels, and escalation triggers without oversight.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Defining incident severity tiers
  2. Assigning roles: commander, comms, resolution
  3. Setting escalation timeouts by severity
  4. Choosing comms platforms per client
  5. Creating war room templates
  6. Setting permissions in incident tools
  7. Defining postmortem participation rules
  8. Deciding when to involve legal
  9. Routing stakeholder updates through you
  10. Setting incident documentation standards
  11. Approving comms copy pre-release
  12. Closing incidents without review
Module 4. Own SLO and error budget policy
Set service level objectives and error budget rules that stick, no senior sign-off needed for standard cases.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Choosing latency vs availability SLOs
  2. Setting burn rate thresholds
  3. Defining error budget depletion rules
  4. Choosing rolling windows: 7 vs 30 days
  5. Aligning SLOs with business hours
  6. Adjusting for seasonal load
  7. Handling exceptions without precedent
  8. Enforcing budget enforcement actions
  9. Reporting budget status to stakeholders
  10. Modifying SLOs mid-cycle
  11. Documenting rationale for audits
  12. Training junior staff on your policy
Module 5. Enforce Kubernetes configuration standards
Make final decisions on K8s resource limits, network policies, and pod security without approval.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Setting CPU/memory requests per service class
  2. Enforcing namespace isolation rules
  3. Choosing CNI plugins per environment
  4. Defining default network policies
  5. Setting pod security admission levels
  6. Choosing ingress controllers
  7. Setting HPA thresholds
  8. Managing taints and tolerations
  9. Approving node pool sizing
  10. Enforcing backup policies
  11. Configuring autoscaling limits
  12. Setting cluster upgrade cadence
Module 6. Approve runbook templates
Own the content, structure, and stakeholder review of runbooks, no second review needed.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Choosing runbook format: text vs flowchart
  2. Setting escalation steps per incident type
  3. Including or excluding stakeholder comms
  4. Defining when to involve vendor support
  5. Setting debug command standards
  6. Updating runbooks post-incident
  7. Versioning and publishing process
  8. Setting access controls
  9. Routing client feedback through you
  10. Approving translations for global teams
  11. Integrating with incident tools
  12. Auditing runbook effectiveness
Module 7. Own toolchain integration decisions
Choose how SRE tools connect: CI/CD, monitoring, incident response, and ticketing.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Choosing webhook integrations
  2. Setting up bidirectional alert sync
  3. Routing tickets to service desks
  4. Enabling auto-remediation
  5. Defining CI/CD SLO gates
  6. Setting deployment health checks
  7. Choosing retry logic for failed syncs
  8. Configuring audit trails
  9. Setting API rate limits
  10. Choosing authentication method
  11. Setting alert deduplication rules
  12. Approving new tool integrations
Module 8. Lead client onboarding for SRE
Run the SRE onboarding, define what’s in, what’s out, and who decides.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Choosing onboarding timeline
  2. Setting data access requirements
  3. Defining initial monitoring baseline
  4. Choosing first services to instrument
  5. Setting up on-call rotation
  6. Selecting initial incident scenarios
  7. Running first war game
  8. Gathering client feedback
  9. Adjusting scope based on risk
  10. Setting monthly review cadence
  11. Publishing first SRE report
  12. Handing off to sustainment
Module 9. Handle client escalations directly
Receive and resolve SRE-related escalations without funneling through management.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Identifying valid escalation triggers
  2. Setting response time SLAs
  3. Triage protocol for incoming escalations
  4. Deciding when to involve architects
  5. Setting documentation expectations
  6. Handling repeated failures
  7. Closing escalations with root cause
  8. Escalating upward only when needed
  9. Reporting escalation trends monthly
  10. Reducing repeat escalations
  11. Documenting resolution paths
  12. Sharing learnings across engagements
Module 10. Defend technical debt trade-offs
Justify short-term decisions against long-term operability, confidently, without approval.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Defining acceptable technical debt
  2. Setting repayment triggers
  3. Choosing quick fixes vs re-architect
  4. Communicating trade-offs to PMs
  5. Tracking debt in runbooks
  6. Setting visibility thresholds
  7. Prioritizing cleanup in sprint
  8. Using SLOs to pressure repayment
  9. Avoiding blame narratives
  10. Documenting rationale for audits
  11. Adjusting debt tolerance by phase
  12. Reporting debt reduction progress
Module 11. Lead postmortem facilitation
Run blameless postmortems and set follow-up actions, own the outcome.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Scheduling postmortems by severity
  2. Choosing facilitation style
  3. Setting invite list
  4. Defining fact-gathering process
  5. Drafting incident timeline
  6. Identifying contributing factors
  7. Setting follow-up action owners
  8. Choosing action due dates
  9. Publishing postmortem report
  10. Tracking action completion
  11. Handling sensitive findings
  12. Closing postmortem formally
Module 12. Scale decisions across global teams
Replicate your framework decisions consistently across regions and time zones.
12 chapters in this module
  1. Choosing global vs local standards
  2. Setting timezone coverage rules
  3. Handing off incidents across shifts
  4. Translating runbooks accurately
  5. Managing timezone-based SLOs
  6. Scheduling global drills
  7. Aligning tooling across regions
  8. Handling local compliance variations
  9. Setting global audit schedules
  10. Sharing postmortem learnings
  11. Standardizing training materials
  12. Updating frameworks based on global feedback

How this maps to your situation

  • Client onboarding with new product team
  • Responding to first major outage
  • Negotiating tooling choices with client stakeholders
  • Updating incident response after audit finding

Before vs. after

Before
Decisions on SRE frameworks require team leads or architecture review.
After
You make final calls on incident structure, tooling, and K8s policy without escalation.

What's included with your purchase

  • 12 modules with 12 chapters each (144 chapters)
  • Downloadable templates and worked examples for every module
  • Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Delivery and format

  • Course and learning environment access provisioned within 24 hours of purchase
  • Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access

Format: Text-based modules and chapters in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every chapter, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.

Time investment: Approximately 3 hours per module, designed to be completed in parallel with active engagements.

If nothing changes
Continuing to escalate routine SRE decisions slows delivery and signals lower ownership, limiting visibility to leadership.

How this compares to the alternatives

Most SRE training focuses on certification prep or generic best practices. This course delivers specific decision rights used by senior practitioners at top consultancies to own framework choices from the start.

Frequently asked

Is this course only for Thoughtworks employees?
No. It's for any CKA-certified SRE in a client-facing or IC role who wants full command of framework decisions.
How is the course structured?
12 modules, each containing 12 chapters (144 chapters total).
Will this help me pass the CKA?
No. It assumes CKA-level knowledge and builds on it to claim ownership of decisions.
$199 one-time. Approximately 3 hours per module, designed to be completed in parallel with active engagements..

Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.

30-day money-back guarantee· 144 chapters· Hand-built playbook included· Account access within 24 hours
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