Shifting AWS Ownership Left: Application Teams Taking Control
One of the key transformations I’ve experienced is the “shift left” in AWS ownership. Traditionally, managing cloud infrastructure was the domain of central DevOps teams. However, in my projects, I’ve been a part of a growing trend where application teams take direct control of their AWS resources. This shift allows developers to design, build, and deploy systems with complete knowledge of the underlying infrastructure. It reduces bottlenecks and fosters a culture of accountability.
At Nerdwallet and previously at Amazon, this approach has enabled my teams to take full advantage of AWS services, closely aligning infrastructure decisions with the application’s architecture. It empowers us to be more agile, responsive, and innovative, as we’re no longer dependent on DevOps teams for provisioning, scaling, and maintaining AWS resources.
Leveraging AWS Services to Fit Architecture
When it comes to designing cloud architecture, choosing the right tools for the job is crucial. I’ve always been a strong proponent of using AWS services that best align with the needs of the application. Whether it’s EC2 instances for compute, S3 for storage, or Lambda for serverless computing, I’ve worked across the wide array of AWS offerings to build scalable and resilient systems.
This focus on matching services to architecture helps ensure that the solution not only meets performance requirements but also scales efficiently. Using Terraform and AWS CDK (Cloud Development Kit), I’ve managed infrastructure as code, ensuring that our environments are reproducible, versioned, and maintainable.
AWS Cost Optimization: Driving Efficiency
One of my key areas of expertise is AWS cost optimization. As AWS usage scales, so do the costs, and I have extensive experience in identifying and addressing areas of inefficiency. From rightsizing instances to optimizing storage costs, I’ve worked on projects where cost efficiency was a critical factor in the architecture design process.
I’ve implemented cost-saving strategies such as using Reserved Instances and Spot Instances where appropriate, leveraging S3 lifecycle policies, and analyzing AWS Cost Explorer to track and reduce unnecessary expenses. I also regularly use tools such as AWS Trusted Advisor to ensure best practices in cost, performance, and security are being followed.
AWS DevOps: Automating Infrastructure Management
Automation is at the core of AWS DevOps best practices, and my experience with Terraform and AWS CDK has allowed me to help teams automate infrastructure provisioning, scaling, and management. By shifting the focus toward infrastructure as code, I ensure that our systems are resilient, scalable, and easy to update.
AWS DevOps is about more than just infrastructure—it’s about creating efficient pipelines and systems that empower teams to focus on delivering value. I’ve worked to integrate continuous deployment (CD) pipelines using AWS services like CodePipeline and CodeDeploy to automate deployments, reduce manual intervention, and ensure consistency across environments.
AWS Consulting: Bringing Experience to Your Projects
I’m passionate about helping organizations get the most out of AWS. Whether you’re looking to optimize costs, migrate workloads, or automate infrastructure, my decade of experience with AWS technologies—including my time at Amazon—positions me to offer practical, real-world solutions. I specialize in:
- AWS consulting for startups and enterprises alike
- Optimizing architectures to ensure scalability and cost-efficiency
- Automating AWS infrastructure using Terraform and CDK
- Shifting AWS ownership to application teams, fostering innovation and agility
- AWS DevOps practices that empower teams to deliver faster, more reliable solutions
If you’re searching for AWS consultants or looking for ways to improve your AWS DevOps practices, I’m happy to offer guidance based on my deep technical experience and hands-on work with AWS technologies.