Cloud-native without vendor lock-in
Kubernetes consulting that makes itself redundant
Certified senior consultants (CKA, CKAD, CKS) make your team self-sufficient. No dependencies, no knowledge silos, no vendor lock-in.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
The most common Kubernetes challenges in enterprises
If any of these sound familiar, you are not alone.
Platform without foundation
The cluster runs, but nobody can explain why. No runbook, no disaster recovery plan, no documented architecture.
Vendor dependency
External providers build dependencies instead of enabling your team. You pay for operations, not outcomes.
Compliance becomes a risk
BSI-Grundschutz, NIS 2, DORA: Regulatory requirements for container infrastructure grow faster than your platform.
Slow releases
Days pass from commit to production instead of minutes. Every release feels like a gamble.
Knowledge monopoly in the team
Kubernetes knowledge sits with one person. If they leave, the platform stops. And specialists with Kubernetes experience are nearly impossible to hire.
Costs without transparency
Cloud costs rise month after month, but nobody can explain why. Without a FinOps strategy, budget flows into unused resources.
WHAT IS AT STAKE
What happens if you change nothing
Kubernetes environments without professional guidance fail measurably more often.
There is a better way.
OUR CONSULTING APPROACH
Kubernetes consulting in four phases
Enablement over dependency: Our goal is to make ourselves redundant. In four phases, we bring your team up to speed.
Analyze
We analyze your platform, processes, and team structures. Honest, structured, and without sugarcoating.
Design
We design a target architecture that fits your organization. Not an off-the-shelf blueprint, but tailored to your requirements.
Implement
We implement together with your team. Pair programming, code reviews, and architecture decisions documented as ADRs.
Hand over
Your team takes full responsibility for the platform. We have made ourselves redundant.
SERVICES
Kubernetes consulting: our services
Every service works toward one goal: your team runs the platform on their own.
Stable platform architecture
No disaster recovery plan, no documented architecture. In a Kubernetes assessment, we analyze your platform and design a cluster architecture your team can operate independently. From initial analysis through GitOps implementation.
Cloud-native migration without outages
Without a clear plan, migrating from legacy to Kubernetes ends in production outages. We develop a migration strategy with concrete milestones and support the implementation: lift-and-shift, re-platforming, or full modernization.
Implement regulatory requirements reliably
BSI-Grundschutz, NIS 2, DORA: Requirements for container infrastructure keep growing. A security audit shows where your clusters stand. From there, we implement compliance requirements technically, including air-gapped environments.
Detect outages before they happen
False alarms, unclear dashboards, no reliable SLOs. With a properly set up monitoring stack, your team spots problems before they hit production. Including SLO design and targeted alerting.
Faster releases, better processes
Days from commit to production instead of minutes? The problem is rarely the code. We build CI/CD pipelines and internal developer platforms that let your team focus on what matters.
Your team becomes self-sufficient
When Kubernetes knowledge depends on one person, that's a risk. Pair programming, workshops, and documented architecture decisions (ADRs) ensure knowledge stays in the team. Your team learns in real projects, not in theory.
Regain vendor independence
Managed services and proprietary add-ons create dependencies that only show during a cloud exit. We plan the path to your own platform: cloud exit strategy, sovereign infrastructure, air-gapped setups.
TRUST & COMPLIANCE
Compliance for your Kubernetes platform
BSI-Grundschutz, NIS 2, KRITIS, ISO 27001: We know the requirements and implement them with you.
MEASURABLE RESULTS
Typical results from customer projects
Achieved in similar form at several existing customers with production Kubernetes platforms.
Fewer Incidents
Saves ~200 engineering hours per year
Time-to-Production
New services live in less than a day
Team Autonomy
Your team operates the platform after the handover
CASE STUDY
Kubernetes platform for regulated mid-market
Insurance group, ~2,000 employees, BSI-compliant
Every release used to give us a headache. Today we deploy multiple times a week without anyone being woken up at night. The platform is stable, audits have become predictable, and our team operates independently.
more deployments
2x/month → 8x/week
fewer incidents
P1/P2 production incidents
Audit preparation
before: 6 weeks
to team autonomy
Platform operated independently
Consulting, workshops, training
WHO IS SHOGUN FOR?
Is Shogun right for your organization?
Enterprise and mid-market
You run Kubernetes in production, but compliance audits, upgrades, and platform stability consume internal capacity. With Shogun you get an auditable Kubernetes platform and a team that can evolve it independently.
Software companies
You build SaaS products and need a container platform that scales with your product. Shogun shortens your release cycles, improves developer experience, and gives you a platform that does not slow you down in production.
Public sector
You need sovereign infrastructure with BSI conformity and data sovereignty. Shogun delivers Kubernetes environments that are BSI-compliant, air-gap capable, and fully under your control.
Your Contact
Vincent Sturm
Key Account Manager
Want to stabilize your Kubernetes platform and enable your team to work independently? Vincent advises you personally on our Shogun program. From initial analysis to complete knowledge transfer. Contact him directly.
Frequently asked questions
Kubernetes is already running but unstable: can you help?
Shogun helps your team stabilise an existing Kubernetes platform. We assess architecture, operational processes and team structures to identify concrete actions. These may include improvements to monitoring, deployment processes or cluster design. We implement the agreed solution together with your team and then hand it over. For ongoing advice after the project, Mamori is the relevant service; operations and responsibility remain with you under that model.
How long does a Kubernetes consulting project with Shogun take?
A Kubernetes consulting project with Shogun typically takes three to six months, depending on platform complexity and your team's starting point. There are four phases:
- Analyze: Over one to two weeks, we assess your existing platform, processes and team structures.
- Design: Together, we develop the target architecture.
- Implement: We implement the agreed architecture with your team.
- Hand over: Your team takes responsibility for the platform.
The typical duration is not a fixed commitment. Before starting, clarify how much time your team needs to allocate to each phase.
EKS, AKS, GKE or on-premises: how do we choose the platform?
Shogun guides platform selection using your requirements and the operational work your team can take on. For EKS, AKS, GKE or on-premises, compare existing infrastructure, data-location requirements, required integrations and the effort of operations and a later move. Shogun assesses your platform and team structures and develops a reasoned target architecture with you. The provider's name alone does not determine the right solution.
How much does Kubernetes consulting with Shogun cost?
Shogun is billed on a daily-rate basis; total costs depend on project scope and the consulting days booked. The written proposal states the effort. There is no minimum term; you can pause or end the project. We work primarily remotely and also on site for workshops, onboarding or architecture reviews. Expenses that cannot be estimated upfront, such as travel, are billed afterwards at actual cost with receipts.
Can we start with a small Kubernetes assessment?
With Shogun, you can start with a Kubernetes assessment of one to two weeks examining your existing platform's architecture, operational processes and team structures. You receive a written report with current-state analysis, target architecture and an implementation plan. Billing is on a daily-rate basis, with no minimum term. You then decide whether and how to continue. For a focused security assessment with technical evidence, the fixed-price Kensho audit is the relevant service.
Do you also advise on OpenShift and platform engineering?
DevNinjas offers ongoing OpenShift advice through Mamori and platform engineering through Shogun projects. Shogun covers platform architecture, CI/CD pipelines and internal developer platforms, which we implement and hand over together with your team. Every consultant holds at least one of the CKA, CKAD or CKS certifications. For existing OpenShift platforms, Mamori advises your team on work including version upgrades; operations and responsibility remain with you.
How does Shogun select GitOps and policy tools with our team?
Shogun develops tool decisions with your team as part of the target architecture and records the reasoning in Architecture Decision Records (ADRs). For candidates such as Argo CD or Flux, and Kyverno or Gatekeeper, consider existing workflows, required integrations, security requirements and the operations team's knowledge. We explain the recommendation and implement the agreed solution together. Through pair programming, your team participates in the decisions and their implementation.
Does Shogun support air-gapped Kubernetes and sovereign infrastructure?
For Shogun, we bring experience with Kubernetes in air-gapped environments, sovereign infrastructure and systems running entirely on-premises. This includes CI/CD pipelines with local artefact repositories, registries in disconnected networks and self-contained monitoring. Shogun supports the technical implementation of your requirements. Your internal audit function or auditor assesses conformity. For a separate security assessment with technical evidence, Kensho is the relevant service.
Does our team actually need Kubernetes?
Kubernetes can make sense when many services need independent deployments and scaling, and your team can take on the additional platform operations.
Check your needs directly:
- Services and teams: Do several teams need to release independently, or is a shared deployment process enough?
- Scaling and availability: Do you need automatic distribution and recovery across machines, or does simpler hosting meet your requirements?
- Operations: Who will handle updates, monitoring and incidents?
With few applications, predictable load and a small operations team, Kubernetes is often unnecessary. Compare simpler hosting against your actual requirements first.