Paul Micheli

I’m Paul Micheli – though around most circles I’m simply known as Micheli. Funny enough, I rarely get called “Paul,” and when I do, it almost feels like I’m in trouble! I’m a Cloud & DevOps Engineer based in Brighton, and if I had to explain what I do to a child, I’d say I make that little corner of the internet safer, cheaper, and faster.

My love for technology started early on, fuelled by the idea that if you enjoy your work, you’ll never truly work a day in your life. Even though deadlines and high-pressure projects bring their own kind of stress, it’s the good kind – the kind that challenges me and keeps me growing. I cut my teeth in a desktop support role before moving into a datacentre environment, where I spent my early days on RHEL6, writing bash scripts in VIM and saving files with quirky .bak time stamps – long before I knew what version control even meant!

I won’t lie—talking publicly has often left me feeling embarrassed, and I’ve battled my fair share of imposter syndrome along the way. However, I believe in making the uncomfortable comfortable. That’s why I’m stepping up to build a public profile and share my journey, learning out loud for myself and others.

Despite my tech adventures, my greatest achievement has been raising a family that I genuinely enjoy spending time with. Following the wisdom of “Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them,” I take pride in nurturing an environment at home where my kids flourish. And as a bonus, the sight of Sandra and Ryan—my two cheerful rabbits—peeking through my window never fails to lift my spirits.

I’ve always believed that mistakes are simply opportunities to learn. I don’t get embarrassed by them; instead, I embrace the lesson and ask for help as soon as I need it—an approach that’s served me well both at work and in life.

Outside the office, I’m either tinkering in my home lab on pet projects, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or catching the latest Formula 1 race. Recently, I’ve even taken up what I call “active meditation” at my local sim racing centre here in Brighton—a brilliant way to recharge and clear my head.

On the podcast, I bring together my technical insights and personal experiences, aiming to shed light on everything from the subtleties of DevOps (and hopefully clearing up common misconceptions about the roles of DevOps) to the ethical decisions that shape our industry.