Cloud Irregular

Cloud Irregular by Forrest Brazeal provides in-depth analysis on the cloud and tech industry, highlighting trends, challenges, and innovations. It discusses the impacts of corporate actions in tech, career strategies, cloud infrastructure dynamics, and the importance of positive engagement and simplifying technical communication.

Tech Industry Dynamics Career Development in Tech Cloud Computing Infrastructure as Code Innovation and Challenges in Tech Tech Product Communication

The hottest Substack posts of Cloud Irregular

And their main takeaways

Breaking some huge personal news

2809 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
📚 Literature Novels Publishing Science fiction Satire Writing
  1. The author has sold their first novel called THE BLEB PROJECT, which is a big dream come true for them.
  2. The book mixes satire with science fiction and is about what happens when Silicon Valley invents time travel.
  3. It will likely take a while for the book to be published, possibly not until 2026, but the author is excited about working with a major publisher.

I'm glad I took the off-ramp from software engineering

6800 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Career development Artificial Intelligence Tech industry Job Market
  1. A career in software engineering isn't guaranteed to lead to high pay or upward mobility. Many people find that their progress stalls after a certain point.
  2. The rise of AI will significantly change the role of developers, making it less about coding quickly and more about solving human problems and understanding technology's role.
  3. Choosing to step away from traditional software roles can open up new opportunities. It’s important to explore other interests and skills to avoid being trapped in a limiting career path.

Notes on Nix

2956 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Programming Development Cloud DevOps
  1. Nix is a tool that helps you set up your software environment the same way every time, making deployments easier. It's designed to manage software dependencies reliably.
  2. Nix can be complex to learn, especially because it uses functional programming concepts. This makes some programmers hesitant to adopt it.
  3. While Docker is useful for containerization, Nix offers better reproducibility for builds by focusing on what the environment should look like, rather than just the steps to create it.

Why are tech people suddenly so into homeschooling?

3400 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🚌 Education Homeschooling Child development Parenting
  1. More tech parents are choosing to homeschool their kids. They see it as a way to give their children a better, more tailored education.
  2. Many homeschooling parents want to 'opt out' of average society. They think that keeping their kids away from regular school and its challenges can help them succeed.
  3. Homeschooling can help kids learn valuable skills, but it might also lead to issues with social connection and resilience. It's important for kids to experience challenges to grow.

What hath AWS wrought?

2661 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Software Development DevOps Infrastructure
  1. At this year's AWS re:Invent, there were no major new services launched, which is quite different from previous years. Instead, AWS focused on enhancing existing services and features.
  2. In the past, AWS released many new services, but many of them didn't succeed. This led to dissatisfaction within the developer community.
  3. Now, AWS seems to be concentrating on improving their core offerings. This change could help revive interest and excitement in the AWS developer community again.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

The case against living in the Bay Area, for ambitious tech people

3548 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Tech industry Venture Capital Startup Culture Market Dynamics
  1. Living in the Bay Area might not be necessary for tech success. There are many ways to build a successful career outside of that bubble.
  2. The traditional SaaS business model may not be as effective anymore. Companies should focus on creating value in other ways beyond just software.
  3. A balanced team is better than one dominated by technical skills. Recognizing the importance of marketing, sales, and other roles can lead to better business outcomes.

Wait, is cloud bad?

7244 implied HN points • 24 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Data Centers Tech industry
  1. DHH believes established companies that can amortize capital investments should reconsider the cloud
  2. Different types of companies require different approaches to cloud vs. data center
  3. Switching back from the cloud to data center may bring back old problems that cloud solutions had addressed

"Here's the sad state of the cloud"

3696 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Artificial Intelligence Tech industry Tech Culture Data Privacy
  1. The cloud landscape is shifting from big hyperscalers to more specialized services like standalone databases and DIY cloud-in-a-box.
  2. Using tools like Nightshade to protect art from being exploited by AI may not be the best strategy, focusing on creating original, high-quality art is key.
  3. Google, despite criticism, remains a significant player in the tech industry, seen as a symbol of intellectual prowess and innovation.

Take on the Kubernetes Resume Challenge

3104 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Programming Training Community
  1. The Cloud Resume Challenge community is launching a Kubernetes Challenge throughout March to help individuals build their Kubernetes skills by deploying a basic e-commerce website.
  2. The challenge focuses on learning the operations of a K8s cluster such as configuration, scaling, monitoring, and persistence, offering guidance to prevent going off track.
  3. Participants will work through the challenge together over 4 weeks in the CRC Discord server, with special incentives for those who complete it.

Tech the Heck? - CloudTruth

2069 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Tech news Software Data Management Product Marketing Startups
  1. Explaining complex tech products in simple language is important for understanding and adoption.
  2. Developers may value different aspects of a tech product compared to business decision-makers, causing a mismatch in communication.
  3. CloudTruth focuses on managing crucial configuration data, highlighting the importance of precision in language and clear communication.

The end is Gemi-nigh

591 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Google Generative AI
  1. Google's rollout of AI technology like Gemini shows a lack of internal coherence, leading to confusion among users.
  2. Despite controversies and criticisms, Google has a culture of acknowledging issues and striving to improve, driven by fear of tarnishing its brand.
  3. Public embarrassment often pushes Google to take action and refine its products, demonstrating a reactive and risk-averse approach.