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Overview Dev Logs

Purpose

The development of the infrastructure follows a structured development and feedback approach to systematize development, documentation, and feedback.

The goal is not only to build, but to make thinking, problems, and decisions transparent and traceable.

It serves three purposes:

  1. Make development decisions transparent
  2. Enable external feedback from knowledgeable people
  3. Create a long-term knowledge base

Tools

This approach is built around a minimal set of tools:

  • GitHub + MKDocs ➝ source of truth (architecture, logs, decisions)
  • External short-form communication ➝ discovery and external input
  • Direct conversations ➝ deeper discussions (optional)

Workflow

Development follows an iterative loop:

  1. A problem or unexpected behavior occurs
  2. The problem is documented in a Dev Log for the first time
  3. A concise version is shared externally
  4. Feedback or discussion may occur
  5. Insights are incorporated
  6. The relevant log is updated

Principle

Dev Logs are not documentation of results
They are documentation of thinking

What are Dev Logs?

Dev Logs document the evolution of specific problems or infrastructure behaviors over time.

Each log represents:

  • one problem
  • one infrastructure component
  • or one line of investigation

It tracks the investigation of a specific problem over time.

Each iteration represents a step in the reasoning process: observations ➝ hypotheses ➝ experiments ➝ updated understanding.

The goal is not to present a final solution, but to document how understanding evolves.

Iterations are appended over time as new insights emerge. It is a living document and may evolve as the infrastructure changes.

Structure of Dev Logs

Each Dev Log follows a consistent structure:

# [Problem Title]

---

## Context
Brief description of the context and where the problem occurs.

---

## Iteration 1 – Initial Observation

### Problem
What is happening?

### Observations
Observed behavior, metrics, anomalies.

### Initial Hypotheses
Possible causes of the problem.

---

## Iteration 2 – Investigation

### Actions Taken
Tests performed or changes applied.

### Results
Observed outcomes of the actions.

### Updated Hypotheses
Refined understanding based on results.

---

## Iteration 3 – External Input (optional)

### Input
Relevant external insights or suggestions.

### Interpretation
Impact on current understanding.

---

## Iteration 4 – Current Understanding

### Root Cause (if identified)
Underlying cause of the problem.

### Changes Applied
Modifications to the infrastructure.

### Outcome
Resulting behavior after changes.

---

## Iteration 5 – ...
...

---

## Open Questions (optional)

Remaining uncertainties or areas for further investigation.

Organization

Dev Logs are organized by problem or topic:

/dev-logs/
  latency-spikes/
    overview.md
  order-routing/
    overview.md

Each file contains the full lifecycle of a problem.

How to Read Dev Logs

Dev Logs are not linear tutorials.

They should be read as:

  • investigation trails
  • evolving understanding
  • decision history

Readers are encouraged to:

  • follow iterations step by step
  • focus on reasoning, not just outcomes

External Interaction

Some problems are shared externally in a condensed form.

The goal is:

  • not exposure
  • but interaction with people who have relevant experience

Note

Not all discussions or insights are fully public.

Dev Logs reflect:

  • the technical evolution
  • not necessarily every external interaction