In the high-stakes world of sports betting and online gaming, FanDuel stands apart with its commitment to a core value: “We are one team.”  This simple statement holds profound implications for the company’s success, resonating deeply with the principles of DevOps.

While DevOps is often associated with technical practices like continuous integration and automated testing, its true power lies in its cultural dimension. DevOps champions open communication, collaboration, and a relentless focus on shared goals. It’s this alignment between FanDuel’s values and the guiding principles of DevOps that creates a powerful synergy, propelling innovation and ultimately delivering a superior experience for its users.

Open-mindedness and Genuine Listening

Our emphasis on being “sincerely open-minded” and “genuinely listening” mirrors a fundamental tenet of DevOps - breaking down silos. Historically, software development and IT operations teams have often functioned in isolation, leading to misaligned goals and friction. DevOps calls for bridging this divide, establishing a shared understanding of the challenges faced by each group, and a willingness to explore new perspectives.

This open dialogue is essential for identifying bottlenecks, understanding the full impact of code changes, and uncovering opportunities for improvement. Our culture of open-mindedness fosters a similar environment where developers, operations teams, and even business stakeholders can actively listen to each other’s concerns. This fosters a collaborative space where ideas flow freely, and better, more holistic solutions emerge.

Examining Convictions with Humility

Part of our value statement highlights the importance of examining “our strongest convictions with humility.” This resonates with the DevOps principle of continuous experimentation and learning.  DevOps encourages teams to embrace change, recognizing that even time-tested practices might benefit from optimization. This means being willing to let go of rigid assumptions in favor of continuous learning.

By fostering a culture of humility, we can mirror this DevOps approach. Developers are not afraid to acknowledge that their code may have room for improvement. Operations teams humbly recognize that there might be more efficient ways to deploy and monitor systems. This environment of constructive feedback and willingness to change ultimately enables us to deliver the most dynamic and reliable gaming experiences possible.

Building Consensus for Shared Goals

“We build consensus and work together toward common goals,” is part of our core value statement. The ability to establish common objectives is at the heart of DevOps success. Instead of developers throwing code “over the wall” to operations,  both sides align around the ultimate goal: delivering exceptional software experiences to the end-user.

This shared purpose guides every step of the process. Developers understand how their work impacts users, informing their design and coding decisions. Operations teams, armed with the context of the overall business goals, proactively optimize infrastructure and deployment processes. Our spirit of building consensus mirrors this collaborative model, unifying teams around a common vision for the product’s evolution.

Positive Intent and Proactive Helpfulness

Our belief in assuming “positive intent and helping others” translates directly into the fast-paced world of DevOps. When issues inevitably arise, a blame-free culture is paramount. Teams focus on troubleshooting and finding solutions rather than finger-pointing. This safe environment empowers people to take calculated risks and encourages proactive support across disciplinary boundaries.

Developers might step in to help diagnose deployment issues, and operations teams might assist in pinpointing performance degradation within the application code. This cross-functional collaboration echoes our commitment to mutual support, ensuring that problems are resolved swiftly and knowledge is shared freely.

The Power of Culture

The technical aspects of DevOps – continuous integration, continuous delivery, infrastructure as code – are undeniably important. However, without a cultural foundation built on trust, collaboration, and shared goals, these tools can only go so far. Our commitment to “We are one team” provides that fertile ground for DevOps to flourish.

The FanDuel and DevOps Advantage

Our dedication to our core values creates distinct advantages that align flawlessly with the benefits DevOps brings to an organization:

  • Accelerated innovation: Open communication and alignment between development and operations enable rapid iteration. With teams working together, we can quickly implement new features and updates demanded by their users. This translates into a critical competitive edge within the dynamic sports betting and gaming landscape.
  • Enhanced stability and reliability: The collaborative environment of DevOps helps us minimize disruptions and downtime. By proactively identifying and addressing potential issues, teams safeguard the smooth operation of its platform, especially during peak usage periods, ensuring a seamless experience for users.
  • Cost efficiency: DevOps helps us optimize its resource utilization across development and operations. Shared tooling, streamlined processes, and automated workflows reduce manual effort and the potential for costly errors. This translates into the most efficient use of resources and a higher return on investment.
  • Improved customer satisfaction: The speed, stability, and continuous innovation facilitated by DevOps have a direct impact on customer satisfaction. Users of our platform benefit from a consistently evolving, reliable, and engaging experience.

Embracing DevOps

Adopting a DevOps mindset takes a conscious effort. This cultural shift involves:

  • Championing cross-training: Encourage developers and operations staff to develop an understanding of each other’s domains.  This shared understanding fosters better decision-making and facilitates problem-solving.
  • Investing in shared tooling: Explore tools that support both development and operations teams, such as version control systems, configuration management tools, and monitoring solutions. Consistent tooling allows for smoother exchanges of information and a shared view of systems.
  • Rewarding collaboration and success: Recognize and celebrate instances of effective collaboration between teams. This reinforces a culture focused on the greater good, as opposed to siloed achievements.

Leveraging “One Team” for Continuous Growth

FanDuel’s embrace of its core values, combined with the power of DevOps, positions the company for sustained success.  It enables a continuous feedback loop, where insights gleaned from the operation of the platform drive future development and optimization efforts. In this way, the spirit of  “We are one team” directly fuels innovation and a never-ending quest to deliver the ultimate gaming experience for its users.

Operating in a rapidly evolving market, FanDuel, empowered by its core values and supported by its DevOps approach, is primed to remain at the industry forefront. The synergy between the company’s commitment to teamwork, alongside the collaborative and transformative nature of DevOps, provides a powerful engine for continued growth and a winning formula to serve its enthusiastic customer base well into the future.