Kubernetes Podcast from Google

Episode: Kubernetes SIG Docs, With Shannon Kularathna
Hosts: Kaslin Fields (A), Mofir Aman (B)
Guest: Shannon Kularathna (C)
Date: September 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the world of Kubernetes documentation through the lens of SIG Docs (Special Interest Group for Documentation) with technical writer and long-time contributor Shannon Kularathna. The conversation covers what SIG Docs does, the role of documentation in open source, experiences of contributing to Kubernetes docs, and practical advice for new contributors. The episode is rich with insights on open source community practices, how contributions really happen in docs, and why documentation is a fantastic entry point for both learning Kubernetes and joining the contributor community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Shannon’s Background and Entry to SIG Docs

• Shannon is a technical writer for GKE at Google and has been contributing to Kubernetes documentation for over five years (01:50).
• She started contributing to Kubernetes docs when preparing for Google interviews, as open source contributions were highly valued (01:50–03:39).
  • Quote: “I think I started contributing because I kept hearing that you need to have open source contributions to pass the interviews. … As soon as I googled open source projects, the first thing was Kubernetes.” — Shannon (01:56)
• She joined without knowing much about open source and appreciated the community aspect compared to corporate work.

2. Open Source Community and Culture

• Discussion about the diversity and unpredictability of open source communities (04:03–05:00).
  • Quote: “There’s some really happy stories and I’ve heard some horror stories … it feels very human” — Shannon (04:24)
• They admire Kubernetes' commitment to a strong, respectful code of conduct (04:50–05:41).
• Abdel (Kaslin) shares how the Kubernetes community has developed robust processes based on past challenges (05:13–06:23).

3. SIG Docs: Structure and Contribution

• Shannon details how SIG Docs has a well-documented, approachable contribution path for newcomers (06:50–07:01).
• Early contributions can be as simple as fixing typos or leaving a “looks good to me” on pull requests (PRs); with experience, contributors can tackle larger changes (07:01–08:26).
  • Quote: “When I started off I was mostly doing really tiny changes. … Over time I started to work on larger and larger changes.” — Shannon (07:01)
• Contribution patterns often happen in bursts due to work/life cycles, not consistent engagement.

4. Nature of Open Source Contribution

• Most open source work, even at SIG Docs, is volunteer-based and not always full time (08:33–09:09).
• Volunteers including Shannon sometimes feel guilty for downtime, but this is a shared experience in the community.

5. Types of Documentation Work in SIG Docs

• Docs team primarily reviews and maintains the official documentation during each Kubernetes release, ensuring conformity and accuracy (10:07–13:04).
• SIG Docs responsibilities include:
  • Reviewing documentation PRs tied to new features/enhancements for each Kubernetes release.
  • Maintaining different tiers of documentation, from how-to guides and conceptual docs to the reference documentation for CLI tools (such as kubectl).
  • Managing the Kubernetes IO blog content, which is currently an accessible entry point for contributors (12:20).

6. The Release Cycle and Docs

• For every release, SIG Docs must review all new feature documentation in time, following a structured and mature process (10:07–14:58).
• They regularly regenerate reference documentation, particularly for kubectl, as features evolve.

7. Balance Between Day Job & Community

• Shannon emphasizes embracing small, incremental contributions and rethinking what constitutes meaningful participation (15:24–16:51).
  • Quote: “Contributing doesn’t have to mean ... an entirely new docset ... it can be something as small as going in and triaging the new issue backlog.” — Shannon (15:24)

8. Skills and Benefits from Open Source Writing

• Open source participation fosters self-driven research and independent work—skills valuable in any tech job (17:42–19:02).
  • Quote: “...open source has a lot more self driven research needed. Especially when you start working on more complex things. ...it's kind of like a little adventure.” — Shannon (17:42)
• It also improves people skills, knowledge-sharing, and cross-team communication.

9. How to Get Involved with SIG Docs

Entry Points for New Contributors (22:25–25:09):

• Slack: Join the Kubernetes Slack, especially the SIG Docs channel.
• GitHub: Look for issues in kubernetes/website, focusing on those marked as good first issue or help wanted.
• Passive Participation: Lurking—sitting in on meetings just to observe and learn—is encouraged.
• Issue Reporting: Even just reporting unclear docs or typos is a contribution.

SIG Docs Meetings:

• Biweekly on Tuesdays at 1:30pm Eastern. Details are available on the Kubernetes community calendar.
• Meetings welcome introductions from newcomers, fostering a sense of community and connections (28:16–28:59).

10. Practical Advice for New Doc Contributors

• Start with small, approachable contributions to build confidence and gradually take on bigger tasks.
• Use good first issues for learning workflows rather than solving technical problems—the primary goal is onboarding through process familiarity (26:57).
  • Quote: “The good first issues are more meant to introduce someone to the workflow ... than it is about something technical.” — Shannon (26:57)
• Docs is a fantastic gateway for learning Kubernetes, and contributors can later branch into more technical parts of the project based on interest (29:33).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Entering Open Source:

  • “I didn’t even know what open source was as a concept.” — Shannon (01:56)

• On Community Culture:

  • “Kubernetes has very strict community standards ... I really love that.” — Shannon (04:50)
  • “If you come into a SIG meeting and I tell you that we’ve tried that before and it hasn’t worked, I’m not trying to say we shouldn’t try it.” — Kaslin (06:24)

• On Docs Contribution:

  • “There are so many smaller but super impactful ways to contribute.” — Shannon (15:24)
  • “Open source ... really translated well to my real life work at the office.” — Shannon (17:42)

• On Getting Started:

  • “If you don’t want to talk to people ... you can just go on GitHub and ... go through the issue backlog ... all of the steps ... are well documented.” — Shannon (22:41)
  • “Lurking is a great way to get started ... you’re going to be overwhelmed ... that’s perfectly normal and fine.” — Kaslin (25:19)

• On Docs as a Learning Platform:

  • “Working in docs is a really good way to learn Kubernetes as a platform.” — Shannon (29:33)

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|------------------| | Intro to Shannon & her background | 01:33–03:39 | | Open source culture and code of conduct | 04:03–05:41 | | Types of contributions to SIG Docs | 06:50–08:26 | | Day job vs community contributions | 15:03–16:51 | | Docs and skills transfer to professional work | 17:42–19:02 | | How to get started in SIG Docs | 22:25–25:09 | | SIG Docs meetings and community culture | 28:16–28:59 | | Final advice on docs as a learning path | 29:33–30:35 |

Practical Steps for Prospective Contributors

• Join Kubernetes Slack and SIG Docs channel to observe, ask questions, and connect.
• Attend the biweekly SIG Docs meetings (Tuesdays, 1:30pm Eastern).
• Look for ‘good first issue’ or ‘help wanted’ labels on the Kubernetes website repo.
• Consider reviewing or contributing to Kubernetes blog posts.
• Don’t underestimate small contributions such as reporting typos or participating in meeting chats—these matter and help you grow into larger roles.

Closing Note

The episode demystifies contributing to open source documentation, illustrating not only the tangible steps to getting involved, but also emphasizing the welcoming, process-driven ethos of the Kubernetes SIG Docs community. Whether you’re looking to learn, to contribute, or to make connections in cloud native, SIG Docs offers a valuable and accessible starting point for your Kubernetes journey.