Automating Infrastructure Provisioning Using Terraform and GitOps
Designed for Senior DevOps engineers and cloud architects at fintech companies scaling microservices who need both speed and stability in infrastructure deployment. to spark real collaboration and high-energy learning.
A 90-minute hybrid workshop in a fintech firm's innovation hub, with some team members joining virtually from satellite offices. Participants are experienced with cloud deployments but frustrated by manual, error-prone provisioning, lack of change traceability, and the fear of breaking production with CI/CD releases.
Terraform Treasure Hunt
Kick off with an interactive poll: 'Which of these cloud resources can Terraform automate?' Show a list including obvious and less-obvious choices (e.g., S3 bucket, IAM policy, Slack channel, DNS record). After voting, reveal some unexpected answers and discuss how broad Terraform's reach really is.
Tap to view the full activity.
Why this works
Curiosity-driven quizzes create a dopamine boost and break assumptions, helping participants realize the breadth of what's possible before diving in.
Myth-Busting: 'Infra-as-Code is Always Safe'
Prompt participants to react (thumbs up/down) to the statement: 'Once code is in Git, our infrastructure is safe.' Collect responses, then share a vivid real-world incident where a hasty Terraform commit in a GitOps pipeline broke prod, despite version control.
Tap to view the full activity.
Why this works
Surfacing misconceptions early ensures participants recalibrate risk and don't treat IaC as a panacea.
Two-Minute Repo Dive
Split into small breakout trios. Each group quickly scans a provided Git repo with a basic but flawed Terraform setup. Their only task: spot as many risks or improvement areas as they can in two minutes—no pressure, just jot quick notes.
Tap to view the full activity.
Why this works
Low-stakes, time-boxed activities lower anxiety, encourage participation from quieter voices, and make problem-spotting a shared game.
Pipeline Panic Relay
Turn up the energy: teams compete in a simulated GitOps pipeline race. Each group gets a simplified 'broken' pipeline scenario (e.g., failed plan, drift detected, secret leaked in config). Who can diagnose and suggest a fix fastest, using a cheat sheet?
Tap to view the full activity.
Why this works
Gamified, time-pressured challenges drive urgency, collaboration, and memorable learning under realistic constraints.
Fintech Fiasco: The Stalled Launch
Offer a real-world dilemma: your product team is blocked because the manual infra provisioning hasn’t kept pace with app releases. Pose the question: automate with Terraform *now* (risk: learning curve and rollout delay) or keep patching by hand (risk: lost market share)? Let pairs debate and quickly share their chosen path & why.
Tap to view the full activity.
Why this works
Emotional investment and relevance increase when participants must choose between two imperfect paths that mirror their work reality.
Personal IaC Commitments
Wrap with a reflective journaling moment: Ask each participant to write down one concrete Terraform + GitOps practice they will implement in their work this month, plus a barrier they anticipate and how they’ll address it. Invite 2-3 volunteers to share.
Tap to view the full activity.
Why this works
Active reflection and personal goal-setting drive transfer to real work, ensuring new skills don’t stay in the workshop.
Sign up to unlock 3 more activities
Get the full pack, facilitation flow, and more ready-to-run ideas.