Kubernetes at Scale: A Five-Layer Model for Fixing Broken Dev Environments

This article proposes a five-layer environment model—local, ephemeral, feature namespace, dev integration, stage, and prod—to eliminate broken shared dev environments in Kubernetes. By enforcing GitOps, signed artifacts, isolation boundaries, and explicit ownership between platform and product teams, it replaces chaos and finger-pointing with disciplined, progressive delivery. The core philosophy: each environment must have one job, clear entry criteria, and clear exit criteria.