As software engineers, we’ve all witnessed the jaw-dropping growth of the public cloud. And let me tell you, it’s still booming like crazy. But hold up! Are we getting cloud development all wrong?
Picture this: some cloud providers have this bossy approach, insisting that you build everything their way. They call it “platform native”. But hey, we don’t want to be tied down like that, do we? Our workloads should be free to roam, using open- and standards-based tools that let us deploy and move them wherever it makes the most sense. We want the best geographic, price, and performance fit for our babies.
A Dev’s Cloud Purchasing Journey
Choosing the perfect cloud provider has been a rollercoaster ride for me, and I bet many of you can relate! 🎢 But you know what? Those experiences have given me valuable insights and taught me a lot. In fact, I’ve uncovered 5 key stages in a developer’s cloud buying journey. Let’s dive in and learn from my triumphs and hiccups along the way!
First up, the “Discover” stage! Imagine stumbling upon a brand-new cloud service while browsing Stack Overflow, watching YouTube, or chatting on Reddit. It’s like finding a hidden treasure! Suddenly, curiosity takes over, and you’re bombarded with questions: “What is this? How can it benefit me? Is it perfect for my projects or company?”
But hey, the journey doesn’t stop there! During this discovery phase, you’ve got a ton more questions to fire away. Your mission is to unravel the cloud offering’s uniqueness, what sets it apart from similar options, and how it brings specific value to your table. Whether it’s top-notch service or something else entirely, you’re on a quest to find out the “Why” behind it all!
Once you’re intrigued, welcome to the “Evaluation” stage! Now you commit and take about 15-20 minutes to check out the documentation. No need to stress if your knowledge of other cloud providers is limited; We’re all in this together!
For instance, let’s say you’re checking out our fantastic managed Premium Compute offering. If you’ve got some knowledge about other competitive offerings, you can easily draw comparisons with our Layerstack’s computing optimized plan.
Checkout the Latest Summary of LayerStack Best VPS Awards
Best VPS 2023
A new revision of the Best VPS 2023 rankings is published approximately every other month in each one of 6 price ranges. Each ranking covers 12 months of trial results. These are the most prominent and the most competitive rankings at VPSBenchmarks.
Now comes the “Learn” stage, the most crucial one. Now that we’ve evaluated our options, it’s time to buckle up and dive deep into the nitty-gritty of our chosen cloud offering. Why is this step so essential? Well, during the evaluation phase, we invested some time, but now it’s time to go all-in! As busy developers with a gazillion projects swirling in our minds, this is our moment to really put our potential cloud partner to the test.
Think of it as a fitting exercise, my friends. We’re trying to see if this cloud offering is truly the right match for our unique needs and aspirations. And let me tell you, this part requires some serious dedication! Be prepared to spend hours immersed in learning all about the ins and outs of this platform.
The big question we’re looking to answer here is: Will this cloud provider and their solution be the game-changer for my next big project? We want to ensure that this partnership is worth every second of our time and effort. So, get ready to embrace the knowledge quest, as it’s what separates the cloud pioneers from the rest!
Ah, the “Build” phase – every engineer’s playground! Who doesn’t love getting their hands on a keyboard and bringing their vision to life? But hold on tight, my friends, because this is the stage where things can take an unexpected turn.
You see, we’ve been conditioned to create MVPs (minimal viable products), and while they serve their purpose, they often leave us feeling less than thrilled. MVPs are the bare essentials, just enough to get the job done. But let’s face it, they might not be the most lovable creations. 😕 Throughout my career, I’ve built countless MVPs, and guess what? Not a single one was quite ready for the big league – production.
But hey, there’s a brighter, better path we can take: MLPs, also known as “minimal lovable products”! 💖 Now, that’s the sweet spot we want to hit! When I’m in my element today, I love showing fellow developers how to craft an MLP. The beauty of an MLP is that it’s not just about functionality; it’s about creating something that sparks genuine affection. It’s a product that we can proudly showcase to the world and honestly evaluate if all the effort we poured into it was worth the extraordinary result.
So, my coding comrades, let’s aim for the stars and go beyond mere viability. Let’s build products that make us and our users fall head over heels in love with our creations!
Finally, the “Scale” stage! Now, get ready, because at this point, you’ll be bombarded with a ton of questions. You’ll want to explore how to leverage multiple regions. Should you replicate data from one point to another for disaster recovery, or perhaps expand to cover more than one region for broader reach? It’s not just about processes; think about the people aspect too. If you need to bring more folks into the mix, what does that mean for your team?
But that’s not all! We must also unravel the mysteries of the integration process. Whether you’re using a CLI or API, discover the available automation options. We’re in the era of automation, with Infrastructure as Code (IAC) leading the way. The goal is to do more with less, as we know that processes can scale, but people have their limits. Take a close look at the effort required to set up the infrastructure and make it scalable.
So, remember, let’s embrace the cloud with an open mind and pick the best tools for our needs. 💪 Happy cloud coding, my fellow devs!
If this whole cloud native approach resonates with your mindset and you’re eager to dive into it, we’d be thrilled to chat with you! Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team member to discuss your cloud buying journey. We’re here to support you every step of the way!
