Relishing in your company’s current successes is important, but planning for the future of your business (and the wider industry) is equally vital. In this Summer Replay of Screaming in the Cloud, we’re taking you back to the post-pandemic climate of tech with the Global Vice President of the AWS Professional Services and GenAI Innovation Center Francessca Vasquez. With 20+ years of experience under her belt and thousands of customers, she knows a thing or two about thriving in the cloud. You’ll get Francessca’s insights into why companies struggle to maintain a cutting-edge work environment, the rapid pivot to the cloud amid a global pandemic, the importance of courting different backgrounds in your organization, and why the next generation of tech workers could spur unprecedented innovation. Even though COVID is seemingly in our rearview mirror, this discussion still holds weight in today.

Show Highlights:

• (0:00) Intro to episode
• (0:49) Panoptica sponsor read
• (1:30) Francessca’s role as AWS Vice President of Technology
• (2:56) Challenges of shifting company culture
• (5:38) Customer service and cloud adoption
• (9:46) The importance of legacy companies as clients
• (11:55) The pandemic’s role in cloud migration
• (14:39) Finding “untapped talent” during the pandemic
• (16:45) Courting people breaking into the industry
• (20:19) Panoptica sponsor read
• (20:42) Toxic gatekeeping in tech
• (24:29) The “real world” versus the realities of tech
• (26:43) Excitement for the next generation in tech
• (29:15) Diversity, equity, and excellence
• (32:20) How to communicate with your customers
• (40:00) Where you can find Francessca

About Guest:

Francessca is the leader of the AWS Technology Worldwide Commercial Operations organization. She is recognized as a thought leader of business technology cloud transformations and digital innovation, advising thousands of startups, small-midsize businesses, and enterprises. She is also the co-founder of AWS workforce transformation initiatives that inspire inclusion, diversity, and equity to foster more careers in science and technology.

Links Referenced:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Francessca_V
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesscavasquez/
• Original Episode: https://www.lastweekinaws.com/podcast/screaming-in-the-cloud/building-and-maintaining-cultures-of-innovation-with-francessca-vasquez/

Sponsor

• Panoptica: https://www.panoptica.app/

When you hear a name like “Jamf,” you aren’t likely to think of cloud architecture, but for Levi McCormick, it’s his bread and butter. On this Summer Replay of Screaming in the Cloud, Corey and Levi chat about how Jamf’s business approach benefits both their clients and their development team. Levi gives his take on the relationship between software development and personal ownership, how he gamified learning for young engineers, the economic challenges presented to professionals trying to break into the cloud, and how AWS can improve its rollout of new products. Seeing as Levi McCormick is now Jamf’s Director of Engineering, those insights have seemingly paid dividends! You can check out this blast from the past (as well as Corey’s usual wit and hot takes) right now!

Show Highlights

(0:00) Intro to the episode

(0:58) Panoptica sponsor read

(1:49) Levi’s role as a Cloud Architect

(2:41) The history of Jamf and the services they provide

(5:58) Breaking down the cloud for customers

(8:18) Services, development, and ownership

(11:44) Identity and assumed roles in software engineering

(14:41) The woes of mismanagement in the field

(17:03) Pantoptica sponsor read

(17:26) Explaining the Cloud Resume Challenge

(20:11) Hesitancy to take the challenge wider

(21:26) Economic barriers for young engineers

(26:00) Thoughts on reInvent 2021

(28:45) What’s ahead for Levi McCormick

(29:33) Where you can find Levi

About Levi

Levi's passion lies in helping others learn to cloud better.

Links Referenced

• Jamf: https://www.jamf.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/levi_mccormick
• Original Episode: https://www.lastweekinaws.com/podcast/screaming-in-the-cloud/an-enterprise-level-view-of-cloud-architecture-with-levi-mccormick/

Sponsor

• Panoptica: https://www.panoptica.app/

Matt Coulter returns to share his latest endeavors as he makes a comeback in community work, especially within DevTools and serverless circles. In this episode, he and Corey discuss the significance of the Cloud Development Kit (CDK), CDK Community Day, and CDK Patterns. Matt reflects on his journey into community work and contrasts the challenges of virtual versus in-person events, highlighting Belfast's burgeoning tech scene and his aim to amplify its presence globally. Additionally, Matt discusses Teach Me AWS, his new venture designed to simplify AWS tools and foster practical problem-solving skills.

Show Highlights:

• (0:26) What Matt’s been up to since the last time he was on the show
• (2:04) How Matt got started with community work
• (6:09) Learning about the Belfast community
• (9:57) How technologies are maturing and empowering users to do more
• (14:51) Matt’s latest endeavor, Teach Me AWS
• (19:25) How Teach Me AWS educates users
• (23:02) Big opportunities for Teach Me AWS in the day two experience
• (30:32) The thread that ties all of Matt’s interests and projects together

About Matt:

Matt is an AWS DevTools Hero, Serverless Architect, Author and conference speaker.

He is focused on creating the right environment for empowered teams to rapidly deliver business value in a well-architected, sustainable and serverless-first way.

You can usually find him sharing reusable, well architected, serverless patterns over at cdkpatterns.com or behind the scenes bringing CDK Day to life., Sr. Architect in Belfast. AWS DevTools Hero and @BelfAWSt_Meetup organiser loving #Serverless so I created @cdkpatterns / @cdkday. Co-Author @thecdkbook. he/him, Matt is an AWS DevTools Hero, Serverless Architect, Author and conference speaker/organiser.

He is focused on creating the right environment for empowered teams to rapidly deliver business value in a well-architected, sustainable and serverless-first way.

These days you can usually find him behind the scenes running the official Belfast AWS User Group and organising the Belfast AWS Community Day!!!

Links Referenced:

• Personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/nideveloper
• Belfast User Group Twitter: https://x.com/BelfAWSt_UG
• Teach Me AWS website: https://teachmeaws.com/

Sponsor

Panoptica: https://www.panoptica.app/