tldr - powered by Generative AI

• The talk explores the mental leap from understanding basic Kubernetes abstractions to understanding how Istio enhances or extends these abstractions with its own.
• The sidecar model influences one's mental model in subtle ways that become more overt over time.
• Istio Ambient Mesh moves away from the sidecar model and offers flexibility of when and where to place proxies, at the cost of having to make such decisions.
• There are differences in how the API is used in sidecar versus ambient mode, and understanding what's happening under the hood is crucial to developing a mental model of Istio.
• Knowing what's under the hood can explain a lot of the weird behaviors that can be observed in Istio.