Redpanda's emphasis on observability enabled them to address a significant performance issue for Chess.com, a major online chess platform with over 200 million members and more than ten million games played daily. Chess.com faced excessive CPU usage due to inefficient compaction on one of their largest data streams, which threatened their system's stability. By leveraging observability tools, Redpanda identified the inefficiencies and implemented a seamless upgrade to Redpanda version 25.1, featuring smarter compaction controls. This upgrade resulted in a dramatic reduction in CPU usage, halved latency, and improved system stability, ultimately enhancing user experience. Redpanda's approach highlights their commitment to continuous product improvement and real-world customer validation through observability.