In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, Danny Thompson and Adam Rackis talk with Abdel Sghiouar, Cloud Developer Advocate at Google, Kubernetes Podcast co-host, and CNCF Ambassador. Abdel shares insights from his global tech journey, from Morocco to Google's largest data center in Belgium, and now Sweden. They discuss cloud computing trends, including WebAssembly, AI-driven serverless workloads, and the shifting lines between frontend and backend. They also explore AI’s impact on cloud development, from simplifying tooling to raising questions about job automation. Abdel offers a pragmatic take on AI’s role, emphasizing that those who learn to leverage it will thrive.
Key points from this episode:
- Cultural Differences in Tech – Abdel’s global experience shaped his view on work culture, from Morocco’s relationship-driven workplaces to Europe’s structured work-life balance.
- Making Cloud Simpler – He focuses on breaking down cloud concepts and making them more approachable for developers, from high-level serverless tools to hands-on infrastructure.
- AI in Cloud & Serverless – AI is improving cloud navigation, troubleshooting, and serverless efficiency, with tools like Google Cloud Assist and Vercel’s Fluid Compute.
- AI & Tech Jobs – AI won’t replace developers but will automate simpler tasks. Understanding fundamentals and problem-solving remain key to staying relevant.
0:00 - The challenge of opinionated platforms and integration in cloud
0:46 - Welcome to the Modern Web Podcast with Danny Thompson & Adam Rackis
1:15 - Guest introduction: Abdel Sghiouar, Cloud Developer Advocate at Google
2:01 - Abdel’s international journey and how different work cultures shape tech perspectives
7:08 - Bridging the cloud knowledge gap for web developers
9:38 - Cloud fundamentals: compute, storage, and networking
12:19 - Emerging trends: WebAssembly, AI, and serverless evolution
16:07 - AI’s impact on cloud development: Hype vs. reality
22:27 - The future of serverless and infrastructure automation
28:22 - Google Cloud vs. Firebase: Balancing simplicity and scalability
31:50 - What Abdel is geeking out about: Content creation and AI tools
34:51 - Closing thoughts & where to connect
🔗 Find Abdellfetah online:
📍 Twitter/X:@BoredAbdel
📍 LinkedIn:Abdellfetah Sghiouar
📍 Kubernetes Podcast:kubernetespodcast.com
