From Splunk Engineer to Kubernetes App Builder
In this Developer Spotlight, Denis shares his journey from writing BASIC programs on a ZX Spectrum to building products used by organizations around the world—and offers practical advice for developers looking to create their own Splunk apps.
From ZX Spectrum to Professional Developer
Denis wrote his first code in BASIC on a ZX Spectrum before he was 10 years old. At 19, he earned his first money as a developer by creating a small utility application for a factory where his father worked.
Since then, he has gained nearly 20 years of professional experience across a wide range of technologies and industries. His first major project was a CAD application written in MFC/C++. He later worked on projects using C#, WinForms, WebForms, WPF, and Silverlight, including trading platforms, scheduling software for advertising agencies, and cellular analytics solutions.
Discovering Splunk—and Joining the Company
Denis began working at Splunk in 2013 as a software developer, following his time at Microsoft on the Developer Division team. He joined Splunk because of the company’s commitment to providing development tools for customers.
“I loved that,” Denis explains. “I loved the idea of helping customers build and develop with the platform.”
That customer-focused perspective would later influence the applications he created independently.
From Personal Project to Global Kubernetes App
After leaving Splunk in 2017, Denis wanted to learn more about Kubernetes and Docker. He decided to build an integration between these technologies and Splunk, initially creating the project for his own use. This project became Monitoring Kubernetes - Metrics and Log Forwarding, an application focused on delivering a strong monitoring experience for Kubernetes, OpenShift, and Docker clusters in Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Cloud.
The application supports customers across industries and regions, including banking, insurance, defense, and telecommunications. Denis emphasizes that it is not limited to a particular sector because Kubernetes has become a foundational technology across industries.
Its goal is straightforward: to help organizations gain better visibility into their container environments and make it easier to use Splunk as part of their monitoring strategy.
Denis eventually published the application on Splunkbase. Within a few weeks, he found his first customer. A few months later, it became clear that the side project had significant potential.
“We participated as a Splunk Technical Partner in several container-specific conferences,” he says. “It was a great opportunity to showcase the power of Splunk together with our applications.”
Building Efficiently—and Making It Easy to Try
After working with different development tools throughout his career, Denis considers Zed his editor of choice. He develops on macOS and relies heavily on containers to create development environments and to build and test applications.
Go is his primary programming language, and he also uses internal tooling designed to support application development for Splunk Enterprise.
For Denis, the best tools are those that enable a fast, repeatable workflow and make it easy to test applications in environments that resemble real-world customer deployments. That focus on efficiency extends to the customer experience. His team designed the application to be easy to try, allowing potential customers to experience its value within just a few minutes.
This approach has worked well for the past eight years. Rather than relying solely on lengthy explanations, users can quickly install the application, explore its capabilities, and determine whether it meets their needs.
Find Your Niche and Build What You Know
For developers considering building an app for Splunk, Denis recommends starting with a problem they understand firsthand. Developers are more likely to create something valuable when they understand the users, workflows, and challenges they are trying to address.
“Find your niche. Build something for yourself first. Make sure you like it.”
Once the app is useful to you, publish it on Splunkbase and see where the journey leads. Early users can provide valuable feedback and help reveal whether the problem is shared by a broader audience.
“If you build something that you can use, that is the moment you will know you can find your customers and build something great for them.”
Life Beyond Code: Skydiving and Exploring the World
Outside of work, Denis spends much of his free time skydiving. His wife is also a skydiver, and when the weather is good, they head to the drop zone with their gear without needing much discussion. When they are not skydiving, Denis and his wife enjoy traveling, exploring the world, and trying new hobbies and sports.
Denis’s career is a powerful example of how curiosity, technical expertise, and a willingness to build for yourself can lead to opportunities far beyond an initial side project. For developers exploring ideas in the Splunk ecosystem, his advice is simple: find a niche, solve a problem you understand, and share what you build.
“The Splunk family is the best professional community I have ever been part of,” he says. “Let’s keep it awesome and welcoming for many years to come.”
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