I used to think deployments were the stressful part.

Now I think they're the easy part.

The deployment finishes.

The pipeline turns green.

Someone (usually a machine) tells me everything was successful.

Great.

Now I get to find out if any of that is true.

I open the site.

I click around.

I check the logs.

I ask DNS a question.

Then I ask another nameserver the same question, just in case the first one is having an optimistic day.

Eventually, I relax.

Not because the deployment succeeded.

Because reality agreed with it.

I've learned that "Deployment successful" isn't the end of the job.

It's the beginning of a conversation.

Sometimes production replies,

"Yep, everything's here."

Sometimes it replies,

"You forgot something."

It usually says this politely.

Usually.