DevOps Best Practices for Startups

In the fast-paced world of startups, solid DevOps practices can make the difference between success and failure. Here's how to build infrastructure that scales with your growth.

Core Principles

1. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Never manually configure servers. Always use code:

# docker-compose.yml
version: '3.8'
services:
  app:
    build: .
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - DATABASE_URL=${DATABASE_URL}
      - REDIS_URL=${REDIS_URL}
    depends_on:
      - db
      - redis

  db:
    image: postgres:15
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${DB_PASSWORD}

  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    volumes:
      - redis_data:/data

volumes:
  postgres_data:
  redis_data:

2. CI/CD Pipeline

Automate everything from testing to deployment:

# .github/workflows/deploy.yml
name: Deploy

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Run tests
        run: |
          npm install
          npm test

  deploy:
    needs: test
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Deploy to production
        run: |
          ./scripts/deploy.sh

Essential Tools

• Docker: Containerization
• GitHub Actions: CI/CD
• Terraform: Infrastructure as Code
• Prometheus + Grafana: Monitoring
• Sentry: Error tracking

Security First

Always implement:

• Secret management (never commit credentials)
• Automated security scanning
• Regular dependency updates
• Principle of least privilege

Conclusion

Start with these practices and adjust as you grow. The key is automation, monitoring, and security from day one.

Ready to set up your infrastructure? Contact us for DevOps consulting.