NetDevOps Isn't Stalled, it's Stuck on the Wrong Problem
DevOps.com, Monday, May 11th, 2026
NetDevOps adoption barriers are primarily organizational and people-related, not technical, requiring evolution of existing staff rather than hiring unicorns.
According to the 2025 State of Network Automation Survey, only 10% of barriers to network automation are technical, while 44% stem from people problems including skills gaps, organizational dysfunction, and cultural resistance.
Rather than seeking mythical unicorn hires combining network and software development expertise, organizations should invest in evolving existing network engineers through on-the-job learning, paired collaboration, and celebrating incremental progress.
Success requires establishing a data-driven source of truth as the foundation, shifting from treating documentation as an afterthought to making it the operational center of network management through intent-driven methodology.
AI can accelerate progress today, but only for organizations with mature automation practices, proper data governance, and appropriate safeguards in place.