Can You Buy Your Way to DevSecOps Success? | Arcjet’s David Mytton
Mar 11, 2025
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David Mytton, CEO of ArcJet and founder of Console.dev, dives into the clash between fast-paced development and security needs. He critiques the common approach of just adding security tools, emphasizing that true success requires alignment between developers and security teams. David highlights the significance of intuitive developer-centric design and the right incentives to foster a secure culture. He also shares insights on how to market security tools effectively and empower developers to prioritize security without hindering innovation.
Traditional DevSecOps encounters friction due to misaligned incentives between developers seeking speed and security teams focused on risk mitigation.
Simply providing developers with more security tools fails to create meaningful change; a holistic approach emphasizing integration is crucial.
Fostering a security-conscious culture requires collaboration between teams and empowering developers to prioritize security without stifling innovation.
Deep dives
Google's AI Search Breakthrough
Google has introduced a new AI search mode that allows users to pose complex, multi-part questions in a more conversational manner. This innovation significantly transforms the traditional search experience, which often required multiple queries to obtain comprehensive information. The enhancement signifies Google's effort to reclaim market share in the ongoing competition with AI-driven search tools. As users demand more personalized and efficient search experiences, the incorporation of AI could lead to an increase in job opportunities within the tech industry for professionals who can develop and maintain such technologies.
Understanding Agent Experience
The concept of Agent Experience (AX) emphasizes the need to create a holistic interaction model for AI agents as users of products. Unlike traditional interfaces designed for human interaction, the experience for AI agents often requires different optimizations to be effective. This raises critical questions about how technology is developed, signaling a shift towards ensuring AI agents have efficient access to resources and interactions. By acknowledging the unique requirements of AI agents, developers could enhance the way digital environments are structured, fostering a more conducive atmosphere for future innovation.
Innovative Useless Apps
A novel app has emerged that restricts media access on users' phones unless they physically go outside and touch grass, blending humor with self-control in the digital age. This app illustrates a growing trend of creating playful, yet seemingly 'useless' tools aimed at encouraging healthier habits in tech usage. The concept capitalizes on a common refrain in online culture to 'touch grass' as a metaphor for reconnecting with reality. Such examples showcase the potential for generative AI to empower ordinary users to create quirky, custom applications that were previously only feasible for skilled developers.
Amazon's Agentic AI Initiative
Amazon's AWS has launched an internal group focused on Agentic AI, marking another major step by large corporations to harness AI's capabilities within their operations. This initiative aligns with Conway’s Law, which states that organizations exhibit their communication structures in their software architectures. By forming dedicated teams to develop AI solutions, Amazon aims to ensure that AI becomes integral to every aspect of its product offerings. This reflects a broader trend in the tech industry where companies are prioritizing AI to enhance efficiency and innovation across their platforms.
Challenges in DevSecOps
The shift towards DevSecOps has highlighted a fundamental misalignment between the incentives of developers and security professionals. While developers focus on delivering value and functionality, security teams often impose restrictions aimed at risk mitigation, creating friction in the development process. This disconnect can lead to security being treated as an afterthought rather than an integral part of the development phase. Solutions may involve better integration of security practices into the development lifecycle, emphasizing collaboration and shared responsibilities to create a more security-conscious culture.
If you're tired of hearing "shift left" in DevSecOps and seeing little real change, you're not alone.
In this episode, David Mytton (CEO of ArcJet, founder of Console.dev) breaks down why traditional approaches to developer security often fail. He reveals the core conflict between developers (who want to build fast) and security teams (who want to mitigate risk), and explains why this misalignment of incentives can be detrimental for your software. Learn why simply handing devs more security tools isn't enough.
David shares his insights from years of experience reviewing developer tools and building security products. He discusses the importance of developer-centric design, the power of the right incentives, and the need for security solutions that seamlessly integrate into the developer workflow. Plus, he reveals the secrets to successful developer marketing and why traditional approaches often backfire.
Tune in to discover how to foster a security-conscious culture within your engineering team, without stifling innovation or creating unnecessary friction. Learn how to empower developers to build secure software by design, and discover the tools and strategies that are shaping the future of DevSecOps.
