In June, more than 650 network automation practitioners packed into Munich for AutoCon 5, joined by another 250+ who came a couple days early for hands-on workshops. Then, like we do after every AutoCon, we asked you to tell us how it went; the good, the annoying, and everything in between…

AutoCon 4 descended on Austin, Texas the week before Thanksgiving, and based on the post-event survey results, the community showed up in force and left energized. Over 700 people attended the main conference and 250+ participated in the pre-event workshops. We asked everyone to tell us what they thought, and you delivered.

SONiC represents a legitimate alternative for specific use cases and organizations, but it's not the universal solution some marketing suggests. The technology works—Microsoft Azure and other hyperscalers prove that at scale. However, the operational model and skill requirements represent a fundamental shift from traditional networking approaches.

API gateways for network automation aren't revolutionary. They're sensible abstraction that addresses real operational challenges. The key is balancing architectural flexibility with implementation pragmatism. Start simple, solve real problems, and evolve based on actual usage patterns rather than theoretical requirements.

A key insight from this discussion is that many teams end up adapting tools originally designed for cloud and server management to networking contexts. While purpose-built network automation tools do exist, organizations often gravitate toward tools that align with their broader infrastructure practices and skillsets. The key is matching the tool to the specific requirements, constraints, and organizational context of each use case.

The "best" Python workflow isn't about using the newest tools—it's about reducing friction for your team while maintaining reliability. Many successful network automation teams use hybrid approaches: modern dependency management under the hood with simple, consistent interfaces on top.

The choice between Git and source of truth platforms isn't binary. The best approach often combines elements of both, leveraging structured data management while maintaining the change control and versioning that make network automation reliable.

AutoCon 3 demonstrated that network automation has evolved from experimental scripts to business-critical infrastructure. But perhaps the conference's most important insight came from recognizing that automation success depends as much on psychology, trust, and user experience as it does on technical correctness.