There is a funny parallel I see with Kubernetes that I also saw a lot with Linux in the early years. There are thousands of packages and tools you can install on Linux (think phpmyadmin for example) and new users sometimes go wild installing every single package they read about.
After a while, the more mature Linux engineers start going the other way. Ripping out as much as possible. Stripping down to the leanest build they can, for performance but also to reduce attack surface and overall complexity.
Very similar dynamic with k8s. Early days are often about scooping up every CNCF project like you're on a shopping spree. Eventually people get to shipping slim clusters running and 30mb containers with alpine or nix. Using it essentially as open source clustering for Linux.
After a while, the more mature Linux engineers start going the other way. Ripping out as much as possible. Stripping down to the leanest build they can, for performance but also to reduce attack surface and overall complexity.
Very similar dynamic with k8s. Early days are often about scooping up every CNCF project like you're on a shopping spree. Eventually people get to shipping slim clusters running and 30mb containers with alpine or nix. Using it essentially as open source clustering for Linux.