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Tatsat (Tats) Mishra - Microsoft

Simplifying Kubernetes with AKS VS Code Extension

Abstract

I remember the first time I stared at a wall of YAML, trying to figure out why my pod wasn't starting. There I was, alt-tabbing between three different terminal windows, a browser with twelve Kubernetes documentation tabs open, and VS Code where I was actually trying to write code. Sound familiar?

If you've ever found yourself in that exact spot—juggling kubectl commands while your actual work sits there waiting—you're definitely not alone. We've all been there, and honestly, that frustration is exactly what got us thinking: why does working with Kubernetes have to feel like learning a completely different language just to deploy the code we write every day?

That question led us down a path that eventually became the VS Code Kubernetes & AKS extension. But this isn't just another ""here's our cool new tool"" story. It's really about something bigger—how we can build infrastructure tools that actually make sense to the humans using them.

I want to take you behind the scenes of how we approached this problem. We'll dig into the real technical challenges we faced, the times we had to completely rethink our approach, and the conversations with developers that fundamentally changed how we thought about the whole thing. You'll see some live demos of workflows that might just change how you think about working with clusters day-to-day.

But here's what I'm most excited to share: the lessons we learned about building tools with genuine empathy. Because at the end of the day, Kubernetes doesn't have to be this intimidating beast that lives in a separate world from your actual development work. It can be approachable, even friendly—and I'll show you exactly how we're making that happen.

Whether you spend your days writing code, managing infrastructure, or you're just curious about how Kubernetes fits into the bigger picture, you'll walk away with concrete ideas you can use. More importantly, maybe you'll see how we can all build better tools—ones that actually care about making people's work lives a little bit easier.

What You'll Take Away

  • The real story behind building the VS Code Kubernetes & AKS extension—including the mistakes we made along the way
  • Various one-click scenarios and ease one can diagnose through this extension
  • Practical approaches to designing tools that people genuinely want to use
  • Fresh perspectives on connecting the developer experience with infrastructure reality

Speaker Bio

Tatsat Mishra is a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft, where he focuses on improving developer and platform experiences in the cloud-native ecosystem. Amongst various other things he is one of core maintainer of the VS Code Kubernetes and AKS extensions, helping bridge the gap between developers and complex infrastructure by bringing Kubernetes closer to everyday developer workflows.

Tatsat has spent the past several years collaborating across teams and communities to simplify Kubernetes usage, particularly in the Azure ecosystem. His work has contributed to CNCF sandbox acceptance and is actively used by developers worldwide.

Tatsat is passionate about building tools that are not only powerful but also intuitive and developer-friendly. He believes in the importance of empathy in engineering and enjoys working at the intersection of usability, automation, and cloud-native architecture.

When he's not deep in terminal tabs or contributing to Stackoverflow or GitHub review discussions, you’ll likely find him exploring good coffee, clean interfaces, or quietly rooting for simplicity in software.