Explore the world of service meshes in this 43-minute CNCF conference talk. Learn about the purpose of service meshes as secure, observable networking layers for distributed computing systems like Kubernetes. Discover how to overcome the operational complexity and steep learning curve associated with service meshes through hands-on demos using Cilium Service Mesh powered by eBPF. Gain practical knowledge on monitoring service-to-service connectivity, collecting tracing data, and gathering golden metrics using standard tools like Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry with eBPF. Understand how eBPF eliminates service mesh sidecars, leading to improved performance, reduced latency, decreased operational complexity, and lower resource usage. By the end of the talk, acquire the skills to understand and implement a service mesh effectively, avoiding common pitfalls and complexities.