Screaming in the Cloud

Brian Scanlan, Senior Principal Engineer at Intercom, discusses the company's migration from AWS Aurora to PlanetScale, driven by challenges with scalability and operational pain from 13 clusters. He shares insights on Intercom's transition to AI chatbots post-ChatGPT, emphasizing their role in enhancing human support. Beyond databases, Brian highlights the shrinking talent pipeline for systems engineers and the effectiveness of Intercom's volunteer-based on-call model, enhancing both operations and recruitment. A fascinating dive into tech evolution at Intercom!

Harjot Gill, CEO and co-founder of CodeRabbit, discusses how AI is transforming code reviews. He shares insights on building the most-installed AI app on GitHub, highlighting the inefficiencies of traditional code review processes and the challenges posed by AI-generated code. Gill explains how CodeRabbit uses innovative cloud architecture to enhance efficiency and navigate the complexities of code reviews. He also delves into balancing feedback from AI tools and the strategic advantages of using Google Cloud for startups.

Jonathan Schneider, CEO of Moderne and an expert on Java microservices, discusses the challenges of software modernization. He shares insights from his experience at Netflix and highlights how major companies utilize transformation tools like OpenRewrite. The conversation covers the complexities of upgrading legacy systems, the role of AI in development, and the importance of balancing automation with human oversight. Schneider delves into cultural factors that influence modernization efforts and the lessons learned from the Python 2 to 3 migration.

Simon Willison, an independent open-source developer and founder of Datasette, shares his insights on AI's security landscape. He warns of an imminent cybersecurity breach linked to AI vulnerabilities, particularly prompt injection risks. Simon discusses the importance of human expertise amidst rising AI capabilities, the environmental impacts of AI, and innovative applications of open-source tools in journalism. His candid perspective cuts through the hype, highlighting the critical balance between advancement and ethical implications.

Ed Zitron, CEO of EZPR and tech newsletter writer, joins to dissect the fervor surrounding AI and its backers. They delve into the financial realities of AI companies, revealing a stark contrast to their soaring valuations. Discussion reveals skepticism about Microsoft's investments and the shaky ground of OpenAI's finances. Zitron critiques the AI hype and contrasts it with past tech bubbles, while humorously noting the absurdities in corporate cultures, like extravagant bonuses at Meta. Together, they explore if the AI rush is a genuine revolution or just a bubble waiting to burst.

Jeremy Edberg, CEO of DBOS and former Reliability Engineer for Netflix, shares his innovative philosophy on software reliability. He proposes saving entire apps in databases to prevent failures and discusses his 'build for three' approach to scalable design. Jeremy lightens the mood with his cheeky Arizona time zone hack at Reddit and critiques the pitfalls of traditional testing methods. He also debates user-centric pricing strategies and emphasizes the importance of making it easy for customers to leave, ironically boosting retention.

Wayne Segar, Director of Global Field CTOs at Dynatrace, dives into the complexities of monitoring unpredictable AI workloads. He discusses the breakdown of traditional observability practices when applied to non-deterministic AI systems. The conversation highlights the importance of ‘human in the loop’ approaches and how AI Centers of Excellence help navigate compliance challenges. Wayne also touches on the benefits of consolidating observability tools and the innovative drive of startups compared to larger enterprises.

Join AWS experts Matt Berk and Bowen Wang as they share their insights on the challenges of presenting at major tech events like re:Invent. Matt, a Principal Technical Account Manager passionate about storytelling, and Bowen, a Principal Product Marketing Manager focused on cloud financial management, delve into using customer feedback for product development. They recount hilarious behind-the-scenes moments, like a tsunami warning before their talk, and discuss the importance of engaging storytelling and preparing effectively to connect with audiences.

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.