Inside @WhatIfMediaGroup's Massive #Kafka Migration to #Kubernetes | Interview with Ryan Anguiano

LensesIO

Feb 24, 2026

In this episode, Drew Oetzel sits down with Ryan Anguiano, Staff Architect at @WhatIfMediaGroup to discuss their massive migration of #apachekafka from legacy EC2 instances to #kubernetes using the @Strimzi operator.

Ryan shares deep technical insights into how they optimized their data streaming architecture, including their use of #aws EKS, EBS storage striping, and why the 12-Factor App methodology was the key to migrating over 100 services in just a few months.

Key topics covered:

Transitioning from manual EC2/Ansible/Terraform provisioning to Kubernetes.
Why Strimzi is the go-to operator for Kafka on K8s.
Storage optimization: Configuring multiple EBS volumes per node for high performance.
Implementing the 12-Factor App methodology for cloud-native success.
How Lenses provides an easy on-ramp for developers to visualize Kafka data and consumer lag.
Avoiding migration pitfalls: The danger of hidden legacy systems.

#Kafka #Kubernetes #Strimzi #AWS #DataStreaming #SoftwareArchitecture #12FactorApp #Helm #Lenses #WhatIfMedia

00:00 - Intro: Managing Disparate Tech Stacks

01:07 - Welcome to the Lenses Pod with Ryan Aguiano

01:40 - The Role of a Systems Architect at What If Media

02:34 - Migrating Kafka from EC2 to Kubernetes

03:21 - Why Strimzi? Benefits of Open-Source Kafka Operators

04:52 - Handling High Volume Data & Compaction in Kafka

06:05 - Storage Optimization: Multiple EBS Volumes on EKS

07:28 - Empowering Developers with Lenses & Async Communication

09:23 - The 'One Helm Chart to Rule Them All' Project

13:36 - The Power of the 12-Factor App Methodology

15:15 - Production Config & Local Development Best Practices