Observability is confusing, here’s how to learn it

From misunderstood buzzword to essential tool, how learning open telemetry saved her from broken live demo disasters.

Jessica Garson, senior developer advocate at Elastic, joined the All Things Open team for a wide-ranging conversation that spanned everything from Python and open telemetry to audio-reactive visuals and DIY wedding planning with AI. Jessica’s story is grounded in enthusiasm, especially for code, community, and finding new ways to express what’s possible with technology. She started her career in Python over 15 years ago and was immediately hooked, not just by the language itself, but by the people she met in the community. That support early on opened doors, helped her build confidence, and launched a speaking and writing journey that continues today.

Jessica’s recent work focuses on observability, particularly through the lens of open telemetry. When she first encountered it, the concept was confusing and the documentation was sparse. Instead of backing away, she stayed curious, learning as she went and sharing that journey through developer content. Observability tools have also become essential to her day-to-day work as a developer advocate, especially for making sure live demo apps don’t fail on stage (true story). Her hands-on experience with Elastic tools and open telemetry gave her the visibility she needed to make sure things run smoothly, even under pressure.

Read more: What is OpenTelemetry?

Getting creative with Python and a modular synthesizer

Outside of work, Jessica brings code into unexpected places. For example, she uses a modular synthesizer to create aggressive noise music. Her artist project, Messika Arson, turns sound design into software-driven performances, with a setup powered by languages like Sonic Pi and SuperCollider. She’s even used AI-generated visual frameworks like Hydra to create live visuals during shows. This creative crossover started as a hack to keep a lightning talk meetup going, and eventually turned into a full-on touring experience across Europe and Asia.

Come for the tech, stay for the community

Even with all her technical growth, Jessica stays focused on community. She encourages newer developers to submit their ideas, even if they’re unsure or feel like beginners. The talks and posts she enjoys most often come from those early in their journey, from people still close to the feeling of figuring things out. Her advice is simple: If you’re thinking about sharing something, do it. There’s someone out there who needs to hear it.

Key takeaways

• Start with curiosity, stay for the community. Jessica’s career began by exploring what she could do with Python, then grew through speaking and writing in open source spaces.
• Observability helps you ship with confidence. Learning tools like open telemetry helped Jessica ensure her demos work on stage and taught her how to debug more effectively.
• Your creativity is a superpower. Whether making noise music or debugging LLMs, Jessica uses code to experiment, express, and connect.

Conclusion

Jessica’s story is a celebration of tech as both a craft and a creative outlet. Her journey shows that technical growth doesn’t require perfection, it just takes curiosity, a willingness to try new things, and the confidence to share what you learn along the way.

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