The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source

Building the developer cloud (Interview)

23 snips
Dec 12, 2024
Kurt Mackey, Co-founder and CEO of Fly, shares insights on building the developer cloud. He discusses the intricate alliance of companies within the cloud ecosystem, coining it the 'Rebel Alliance.' Kurt delves into cloud complexity versus usability, Fly's future with Postgres, and his take on competitors like Neon and Supabase. He also outlines plans for Pipely, a simple CDN to enhance digital infrastructure, and candidly explores the personal challenges of balancing professional and emotional well-being.
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ANECDOTE

Merchants of Complexity

  • Fly.io's global Rust proxy, a complex component, has caused outages due to unpredictable user behavior.
  • This complexity is necessary to serve many users, but individual setups can be simpler, as DHH noted on Twitter.
INSIGHT

Overselling Complexity

  • Some companies profit by overselling complex infrastructure.
  • This "merchant of complexity" issue is different from inherent infrastructure complexity needed to serve many users.
INSIGHT

Developer Desires

  • Developers often desire free or very cheap solutions for insignificant apps.
  • For significant apps, they prioritize reliability and are willing to pay for it.
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