Screaming in the Cloud

How do you wrangle the chaos of AWS cost tools and live presentations? In this episode of Screaming in the Cloud, Corey Quinn is joined by AWS’s Bowen Wang and Matt Berk to break down their re:Invent talk and everything that almost went off the rails. From surprise tsunami alerts to last-minute feature changes, they explore the anxiety and art behind presenting at scale. They also look at how power user feedback shapes tools like the AWS Pricing Calculator, why storytelling matters more than specs, and what it’s like co-presenting with notes that say “make the rabbit joke.” They also discuss AWS’s internal planning process, how customers can get involved in talks, and where to catch them next.Show Highlights(0:00) Intro(1:38) The Duckbill Group sponsor read(2:35) The importance of collecting feedback before launching a product (4:52) The difference between the intended use of a product and how it’s actually used(8:52) How Bowen and Matt were able to be so prepared for their presentation(13:01) What many people don’t realize goes into practicing for a presentation(17:14) How having a storyline helped Bowen and Matt facilitate better breakout sessions(18:26) The Duckbill Group sponsor read(21:02) The importance of being able to go with the flow during presentations(22:42) Why knowing your audience is essential for having a good presentation(24:32) Choosing between breadth and depth when giving presentations(25:05) Bowen and Matt’s advice for people who want to have their opportunity to give a talk with an AWS service team(34:22) How to keep up with Matt and BowenAbout Matt BerkMatt Berk is an AWS Principal Technical Account Manager at based in Brooklyn who's passionate about storytelling, cloud technologies, and FinOps. When he's not solving customer issues, Matt can be either be found in nature with his dog Ollie, at popular NYC restaurants, or at home planning his next trip to a theme park.About Bowen WangBowen Wang is a Principal Product Marketing Manager for AWS Billing and Cost Management Services, where she focuses on enabling finance and business leaders to better understand the value of the cloud and ways to optimize their cloud financial management. In her previous career, she helped a tech start-up enter the Chinese market. When she's not helping customers optimize their cloud costs, you can find her cheering for F1 races with her husband or juggling life as a mom to an energetic toddler and a playful poodle.LinksAWS Cloud Financial Management Blog Channel: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws-cloud-financial-management/AWS Twitch Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/awsAWS Tech Tales: https://community.aws/livestreams/aws-tech-talesThe authenticated AWS Pricing Calculator is now generally available: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws-cloud-financial-management/the-authenticated-aws-pricing-calculator-is-now-generally-available/

Ido Neeman, CEO and co-founder of Firefly, is on a mission to tame cloud chaos with Infrastructure as Code. He shares insights from the State of IaC 2025 report, revealing that while IaC adoption is high, many organizations are still tethered to legacy systems. Ido discusses the rise of open-source projects like Open Tofu and highlights the importance of disaster recovery as code. The conversation delves into the challenges of managing multi-cloud environments and underscores the necessity for robust cloud governance amidst evolving tech complexities.

Malith Rajapakse, a DevOps engineer known for his innovative visualizations, discusses simplifying the complexities of AWS's Managed NAT Gateway. He shares the inspiration behind his acclaimed blog post, highlighting the importance of clarity in technical writing. Malith dives into his transition from front-end development to DevOps, revealing challenges with AWS documentation and the motivation to create engaging content. Their conversation also emphasizes the need for more user-friendly resources in the tech world, making complex subjects accessible to all.

Ann Johnson, Corporate Vice President and Deputy CISO at Microsoft, discusses her 40-year journey in cybersecurity. She emphasizes the importance of honest communication in leadership and the need to foster a collaborative security culture within Microsoft. The conversation touches on the complexities of technology, the role of AI, and its impact on creativity. Ann also highlights her commitment to STEM scholarships and the significance of blending humanities with technology to preserve artistry in an AI-driven world.

If you believed, they put a data center on the moon. No, for real, they did, and it’s partially thanks to Lili Rogowsky, partner at Atypical Ventures. Lili joins Corey to discuss her unconventional leap from law to venture capital. Although she made a sharp turn career-wise, Lili remains grounded in the often heartless world of venture capital—highlighting the importance of empathy and technical prowess in founding successful enterprises. Out of all resources, time carries the heftiest price tag, and this half-hour episode is a low-risk, high-yield investment.Show Highlights(0:00) Intro(1:12) The Duckbill Group sponsor read(1:46) How Corey (kinda) met Lili(3:38) What attracted Corey to Atypical Ventures(5:58) How Atypical helped put a data center on the moon(8:34) VC “done right”(9:59) What led Lili to run a VC firm(13:43) Quitting jobs until you find something you like(16:28) The Duckbill Group sponsor read(16:54) The value of sharing your time(21:44) Risk assessment, well-dressed horses, and punching up in comedy(24:44) The importance of humility in life and business(29:15) Where you can find more from Lili and Atypical VenturesAbout Lili RogowskyLili is a dynamic investor, attorney, advisor, and entrepreneur. She is a partner at Atypical Ventures, an early-stage fund that identifies and invests in “engineers with empathy” working on plausible science fiction. A voracious reader driven by her curiosity and love of type 2 fun, Lili’s experience includes (in no particular order) mountaineering, visual arts, marine science, founding a law firm, cave/ shark diving (not necessarily at the same time), data privacy/ security, gardening, recruiting, battling NYC rats that eat her car, and interplanetary internet.LinksAtypical Ventures: atypical.com Email Lili: lili@atypical.vc SponsorThe Duckbill Group: duckbillgroup.com

Dropping and sharing files should be easy. What a novel idea. On this episode, Corey speaks with Timo Josten, the sole developer behind Dropshare. We bring up the fact that he’s the only guy working on it because the tool is quite impressive! Corey loves it and so does an entire community of folks on Github! Together, they discuss the evolution and functionality of Dropshare. Timo also shares how he balance of enhancing Dropshare, emphasizing user feedback, and customization options, all while offering feature updates and maintaining sustainability. Show Highlights(0:00) Intro(1:06) The Duckbill Group sponsor read(1:39) What does Dropshare do? (6:10) Dropshare's impressive flexibility and dedicated community(10:27) How Timo landed on Dropshare's business model(12:38) What's new in Dropshare 6?(16:09) The Duckbill Group sponsor read(16:36) Determining what should be an update or part of the next version of Dropshare(18:30) Dropshare’s iOS app(21:04) The perks of being able to configure deletion in Dropshare(25:45) Dropshare's thriving GitHub community(29:26) Where you can find more from Timo and DropshareAbout Timo JostenTimo Josten is the developer of Dropshare, the macOS and iOS app to upload anything anywhere.LinksTimo’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timo-josten-493962185/Timo’s personal website: https://josten.ioDropshare: https://dropshare.app/shitposting.pictures SponsorThe Duckbill Group: duckbillgroup.com 

Aditya Bhargava, a Staff Software Engineer at Etsy and author of Grokking Algorithms, shares his insights on effective learning methods. He contrasts 'just in case' vs. 'just in time' approaches, emphasizing that necessity drives better comprehension. Aditya discusses how concise, engaging resources can clarify complex subjects like AWS networking. He advocates for brevity in educational materials, highlighting frustrations with lengthy books. His unique blend of art and tech enhances his teaching, making algorithms accessible and fun!

Crystal Morin, a Cybersecurity Strategist at Sysdig with over 10 years in threat analysis, joins to explore the latest cloud security trends. They dive into the impact of AI-driven tools like Sysdig Sage and discuss the critical need for automated responses to cyber threats. The conversation also highlights the surge in machine identities and the challenges they present for cloud security management. Crystal emphasizes the necessity of quick detection and response in maintaining robust security amid evolving threats.

What’s the difference between marketing and BS? On this episode, Corey Quinn is joined by Jonathan Cowperthwait, Duckbill’s brand-new Head of Marketing. Jonathan's career path is a bit unconventional. After all, not everyone can say their professional journey was influenced by The West Wing. Even though he’s a marketer by trade, Jonathan still has the technical know-how needed to work in the often expensive world of cloud economics. Have you ever wanted to know what The Duckbill Group’s relationship with AWS is really like? How fun is it to sit on domains like “oldmanstartup?” Is there a similarity between clouds and butts? This interview is the inside scoop on The Duckbill Group that you never knew you needed. Show Highlights(0:00) Intro(1:11) Duckbill Group sponsor read(1:45) Acquiring the Duckbill Group office post-pandemic(2:52) Keeping your pants on during a pandemic so you can officiate your nanny's wedding(6:07) Jonathan's background prior to joining The Duckbill Group(11:29) What Duckbill was looking for when they hired Jonathan(14:54) When marketing begins to feel like spam(15:40) The fun of having disposable domains and email addresses(18:20) The importance of a good name for a product(19:38) Duckbill Group sponsor read(20:07) The Duckbill Group isn't just Corey Quinn(21:03) The "Cloud to Butt" extension(24:01) Corey's beef with Google's AI search engine(24:57) What can people expect from the Duckbill Group's new marketing effort(30:58) Where you can find more from JonathanAbout Jonathan CowperthwaitJonathan Cowperthwait does positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategy to maximize awareness and revenue for technology brands of all sizes.He prides himself on being a slow runner, fast talker, and good writer.LinksJonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cowperthwait/Jonathan on Bluesky: https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/cowp.coEmail Jonathan: offmylawn@oldmanstartup.comEmail Corey: corey@shitposting.monsterSponsorThe Duckbill Group: duckbillgroup.com 

What were you doing at the age of 12? We’d wager to bet you weren’t getting invited to Google I/O. On this episode, Corey chats with Alex Zenla, the founder and CTO of Edera. Only in her mid-20s, Alex already has more than a decade’s worth of professional experience working in the tech industry. They discuss how Alex found her way into programming at a young age, her experiences with open source projects like the Dart Project and Chromium OS, and getting contacted by Google’s lawyers as a preteen. You’ll also get to learn about Alex’s company, Edera, and their creative approaches to Kubernetes container security using Xen hypervisors. Did we forget to mention that there are multiple sidebars about Minecraft in this one? So grab your pick axe, put on your headphones, and a Google legal will be at your door by the time we wrap up this conversation.Show Highlights(0:00) Intro(0:54) The Duckbill Group sponsor read(1:28) What is Edera?(2:18) Who is the target customer for Edera's product(7:50) Breaking down the overhead makeup of Edera(10:28) How Edera sidesteps the problems with container isolation(13:20) Alex's history working with tech(15:40) The Duckbill Group sponsor read(16:23) How a phone call with a lawyer helped get Alex to Google I/O at the age of 12(18:55) Starting Alex's proper tech career thanks to a Dart library(21:24) The important role of Minecraft in Alex's life and career(23:40) The value of good networking (28:15) What it's been like for Alex to raise a Series A(29:56) Where you can find more from AlexAbout Alex ZenlaAlex Zenla is a technologist that has 10+ years experience in the full-time corporate world who is rebuilding the foundations of infrastructure to be secure-by-design.Alex grew an interest in computers at the age of 7, learning about hypervisors and hardware technologies. At the age of 11, she was inspired by the concept of Chrome OS to get involved in low level systems, where she contributed to the Chromium and Chromium OS projects. This led to being invited to Google I/O 2012 by the Chrome OS team at just the age of 12. Eventually, the Dart programming language came along, and Alex got deeply involved in the ecosystem, contributing to the language and standard library, and building core open source technologies. At the age of 14, she was hired by an IoT company called DGLogik to build an IoT platform that could scale across complex networks, launching my career in IoT. At DGLogik, Alex became deeply involved in Google's IoT technologies across multiple divisions, ultimately ending up working at Google on their IoT platform for their internal Real Estate. In 2024, she retired from the IoT data sphere and started Edera, a company that is making computing secure-by-design.LinksAlex on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alex.zenla.ioSponsorThe Duckbill Group: duckbillgroup.com