Containerizing applications, which involves running them inside containers using platforms like Docker, offers numerous advantages but requires careful consideration of the app's design and configuration. The process is particularly suited for stateless applications, providing a simpler path to elastic scaling, although stateful applications can also be containerized with additional complexities. Effective containerization involves creating platform-agnostic apps, separating environment configurations from the application itself, and ensuring containers house single processes to maintain clean deployments. This separation allows for independent management of application builds and environment configurations, promoting a single build artifact deployable across various environments. To achieve efficient containerization, familiarity with principles such as those found on the 12Factor site is beneficial, as they guide building apps to run as services. Additionally, tools like Codefresh can streamline the containerization process, making it less daunting by automating many tasks involved. The author, Matthew Oaks, a Lead DevOps Engineer, emphasizes the importance of these practices while noting his own journey from software engineering to DevOps, driven by a passion for configuration and monitoring.