We discuss throughout this episode the different engagement models for Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and how to contextualize SRE into an organization's structure. Sebastian Vietz, an experienced SRE practitioner, suggests five different engagement models for SRE and emphasizes the importance of considering the cost associated with each model. The hosts also discuss the different types of SREs that can exist within these engagement models, including SRE champions and unicorns. They stress the importance of considering organizational context when implementing SRE and tease a future episode where they will delve deeper into a framework for identifying the capabilities needed to solve SRE-related problems.

Timestamps of key concepts

Where and how SRE fits into an organization [00:00:20]

We discuss the importance of considering organizational context when implementing SRE and explore different engagement models for SRE.

Center of Excellence for Reliability Engineering [00:02:14]

We discuss the idea of a center of excellence for reliability engineering, where a few practitioners take on an advisory role for the organization.

Embedded SREs [00:04:14]

We discuss the idea of embedding SREs into teams, where each team has an embedded SRE whose focus is to implement reliability engineering principles and best practices.

Five SRE Engagement Models [00:08:23]

We discuss five different engagement models for SRE, including embedded SREs, a center of excellence, and a consulting or ambassador model.

Types of SREs [00:10:25]

We discuss different personas that an SRE can take, including champions, advocates, and unicorns.

Unicorn SREs [00:13:50]

We discuss the rare and sought-after unicorn SREs, who have extensive experience and exposure to different business domains and contexts.

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