When thinking about building reliable software, we mostly focus on technology. While our tech stack, architecture, and good practices all matter, they are not what determines the reliability of our software.

Drawing from my experience of delivering software with strict SLAs, I'll talk about often overlooked foundations for creating software that doesn't flake. Spoiler: it's not about technology at all.

I'll go over aspects that can help or hinder the reliability of your software:
* Measuring performance and rewarding people
* Team composition and structure
* Ways to organize the work itself
* Balancing the boring with the exciting
* Common leadership mistakes that undermine your operations