Successfully adopting DevOps is no easy feat – particularly in large, complex organizations where leaders often find themselves fighting deeply entrenched orthodoxies. And yet, what is it that enables some to create incredibly effective and innovative teams, despite these obstacles?

It is this question that inspired The Unicorn Project, the latest book release from award-winning CTO, researcher and author Gene Kim. Watch this recording as New Relic SVP of Product & Solutions Marketing Jon Rooney chats with Gene about the goals and aspirations of the book and how to not only survive – but thrive – in this era of digital transformation.


In The Phoenix Project, Gene used the constructs of the “Three Ways” and “Four Types of Work” to frame some of the important concepts in the book. Similarly, in The Unicorn Project, Gene takes another look at the Parts Unlimited company, this time from the perspective of software development, and uses “Five Ideals” to frame what he thinks are the most important challenges facing engineering and business leaders today.

We explore each in detail, along with favorite case studies that demonstrate both ideal and non-ideal situations – plus why Gene believes more than ever that DevOps will be one of the most potent economic forces for decades to come.