Configuring production-like development environments for Kubernetes is crucial for microservices and cloud-native architectures. With the shift to microservices, application developers are exposed to a larger number of external dependencies, making it difficult to manage configuration and environment setup. This can lead to reduced productivity as developers spend more time fighting with configuration rather than writing and shipping features. To address this issue, solutions such as enabling developers to add their development machine as a full node into the remote Kubernetes cluster, using cloud-based IDEs, or developing like your laptop is in your Kubernetes cluster through tools like Telepresence can be effective. These approaches aim to improve the developer workflow, reduce configuration setup time, and increase productivity in Kubernetes environments.