The Cloudcast

Michael Cucchi  (VP of Product @PagerDuty) talks about the challenges of increased hours, more frequent incident responses and overall tech burnout as a result of the 2020-21 pandemic.SHOW: 551CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:AWS Data Backup for Dummies (Veeam)Choose Your Own Cloud Adventure with Veeam and AWSDatadog Database Monitoring: Modern Monitoring and AnalyticsGet started monitoring performance analytics from any database with a free 14 day Datadog trial. Listeners of The Cloudcast will also receive a free Datadog T-shirt.Spot by NetAppMore Cloud, Less Cost (Spot by NetApp)SHOW NOTES:PagerDuty (homepage)State of Digital Operations report (PagerDuty)Topic 1 - Welcome to the show. Tell us a little bit about your background.Topic 2 - PagerDuty recently published the 2021 State of Digital Operations report. What were some of the high-level takeaways?Topic 3 - Obviously the pandemic has disrupted where people work for the last 18 months. But what are some of the other factors that are causing so much disruption for Operations teams?Topic 4 - We’re seeing the number of critical incidents per month increase (average 105/month). Do you think that’s more a factor of companies having to change so much so quickly, or technical debts just continue to accumulate and the overall foundation is less stable?Topic 5 - There are tools (ChatOps) that are augmenting how we collaborate, but do you think the lack of face-to-face interactions between teams is causing some of the increased challenges we’ve seen this past year? Topic 6 - Any tips or tricks that you can give to Operations teams that are trying to manage this increased workload and may be struggling to keep up, or find the right balance between life and work?FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet

The transition of @MongoDB from an open source project to commercially successful public company to cloud provider has been an interesting transition. One that many other software companies are looking to emulate. SHOW: 550CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:Datadog Synthetic Monitoring: Frontend and Backend Modern MonitoringStart detecting user-facing issues with API and browser tests with a free 14 day Datadog trial. Listeners of The Cloudcast will also receive a free Datadog T-shirt.CBT Nuggets: Expert IT Training for individuals and teamsSign up for a CBT Nuggets Free Learner account AWS Data Backup for Dummies (Veeam)Choose Your Own Cloud Adventure with Veeam and AWSSHOW NOTES:History of MongoDB (wikipedia)MongoDB Atlas is launched (DBaaS) - 2016Amazon launches DocumentDB (with MongoDB compatibility) - 2019MongoDB IPO - 2019SaaS and Moving Downmarket - MongoDB’s TransformationEvolution of Commercial OSS (Cloudcast Eps.492)How Cloud is Changing OSS Licensing (Cloudcast Eps.493) FROM OPEN TO COMMERCIAL TO IPO TO CLOUDMany software companies are trying to make the evolution from customer-operated to cloud-operated business models. MongoDB is an early lighthouse is showing the blueprint for success. CHANGING (OR GROWING NEW) MARKETS IS VERY DIFFICULTSolve a technical problemCreate a unique value proposition (simplicity)[Marketing] Create (and lead) a growing community of users - via open source[Monetization] Create open-core features to differentiate and solve unique problems [New GTM, New Markets] Evolve the product to new delivery modelsGrow into new markets, through different customer engagement models FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet

Ev Kontsevoy (@kontsevoy, Cofounder/CEO @GoTeleport) talks about the state of the art in remote management, especially for Kubernetes environments, and how Teleport simplifies security for remote access.SHOW: 549CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:CloudZero - Cloud Cost Intelligence for Engineering TeamsSpot by NetAppMore Cloud, Less Cost (Spot by NetApp)Datadog Database Monitoring: Modern Monitoring and AnalyticsGet started monitoring performance analytics from any database with a free 14 day Datadog trial. Listeners of The Cloudcast will also receive a free Datadog T-shirt.SHOW NOTES:Teleport (homepage)Teleport raises $30M in new funding (Aug 2021)Teleport Access Plane: Quickly access any computing resource anywhereTry Teleport for freeTopic 1 - Welcome to the show. Tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to create Teleport.Topic 2 - Today we’re going to dive into Teleport, but we’d like to learn a little bit about the evolution of the company, as it didn’t begin as Teleport. Topic 3 - For better or for worse, we now work in a very distributed world. Between workers being everywhere, and applications being both on-premises and in the public cloud, what sort of remote management challenges does this create?Topic 4 - From a technology perspective, how does Teleport work?Topic 5 - Teleport is made up of access to Servers, Kubernetes, Applications and Databases. How much does remote access change based on the target, or the team/person accessing it?Topic 6 - What are some of the ways that Teleport makes things easier to manage remotely?FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet

There’s been quite a bit of debate recently on whether or not to stay in a role, look around for something new, or just quit tech all together. What’s the right choice? Let’s explore some options and strategies. SHOW: 548CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:CloudZero - Cloud Cost Intelligence for Engineering TeamsCBT Nuggets: Expert IT Training for individuals and teamsSign up for a CBT Nuggets Free Learner account AWS Data Backup for Dummies (Veeam)Choose Your Own Cloud Adventure with Veeam and AWSSHOW NOTES:Tweet #1 - Can’t wait to quit techTweet #2 - Why do people want to quit tech?Great attrition or Great attraction [McKinsey]  THE COVID PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED A LOT OF PEOPLE’S PERSPECTIVERemote work; lots of job prospects, and some new perspective on life has many people considering alternatives to their current situation. SO SHOULD YOU STAY, LOOK FOR SOMETHING NEW, OR QUIT ALTOGETHER?When to StayYou enjoy the work, the team, the manager, the cultureYou’re learning and you see a path for growth or upward mobilityYou or your family need the work (healthcare, location, stability, etc.)When to Look AroundYou’re underpaid or don’t have an upward mobility pathYou want to make a change, and can’t do it within your companyYou no longer enjoy the work, the team, the manager, the cultureA great (outside) opportunity is presented to youWhen to consider quitting (usually as a last resort)You’re in a dangerous or harmful situationYou just can’t find any passion in itYou have an alternative way to support yourself (and your family) FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet

David Hill (@davidhill_co, Product Strategy, Office CTO) and Sam Nicholls (Public Cloud Principle) @Veeam talk about the evolution of managing data in the cloud, and backup and security strategies. SHOW: 547CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:Register for Cisco Magnetic CloudCloudZero - Cloud Cost Intelligence for Engineering TeamsDatadog Security Solution: Modern Monitoring and SecurityStart investigating security threats before it affects your customers with a free 14 day Datadog trial. Listeners of The Cloudcast will also receive a free Datadog T-shirt.SHOW NOTES:Veeam (homepage)AWS Data Backup for DummiesVeeam Backup for AWS on AWS Marketplace (Get 10 Backup Instances Free)Choose Your Own Cloud Adventure with Veeam and AWS Topic 1 - Welcome to the show. Tell us a little bit about your backgrounds. Topic 2 - We live in a world of software, and clouds, and ransomware attacks and security threats and frequent changes to applications. Let’s start by talking about the big picture of what backup looks like these days. Topic 3 - In a world that’s becoming increasingly more DevOps-centric, who now owns all of the elements around backups (testing plans, compliance, retention and cost-mgmt, etc.)Topic 3a - What are some of the unique things Veeam does to make things simpler for those teams? Topic 4 - We used to live in a world of redundant, cold hardware in a remote facility, and truck rolls to Iron Mountain, and manual steps. What has public cloud and automation done to the backup landscape?Topic 5 - How does the economics change now that public cloud is such a critical piece of backup strategies? (saving data, faster recovery times, agility, etc.)FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet

The next 12-18 months are going to be all about changes, chaos and a three-ring circus between the major cloud providers. The status quo is likely going to change, as plenty of new names and faces, and big money, try to steer these giant ships.SHOW: 546CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:Register for Cisco Magnetic CloudAWS Data Backup for Dummies (Veeam)Choose Your Own Cloud Adventure with Veeam and AWSCloudZero - Cloud Cost Intelligence for Engineering TeamsSHOW NOTES:Castles in the Cloud (Greylock VC)Rising Tension between AWS and Partners (Business Insider)Microsoft hired ex-AWS executive Charlie Bell ARE THE BIG CLOUDS TOO BIG TO DISRUPT?It’s very difficult to sustain success in business, especially in highly competitive markets. And the market dynamics of today are ripe for change. HOW DOES CHANGE HAPPEN FOR THE MARKET LEADERSLeadership changes at the top.Growth expectations exceed the company’s ability to scale growth.The people that lead the original growth leave the company.The people that backfill don’t have the same skills or mindset to succeed at the same level. Competitors start to find new pressure points. Companies move from products to solutions as the market evolves from early-adopters to mainstream and laggards.Big money makes people make big decisions (outside your company) - going to “change the world” FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet

Aaron and Brian discuss how the on-going pandemic is creating a permanent habit of working remotely, and the challenges of trying to learn technology with less free time. SHOW: 545CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:Register for Cisco Magnetic CloudCBT Nuggets: Expert IT Training for individuals and teamsSign up for a CBT Nuggets Free Learner account Spot by NetAppMore Cloud, Less Cost (Spot by NetApp)SHOW NOTES:Tips for Working From Home (Cloudcast #442)How long does it take to create a habit? Cloudcast Basics (Cloud-101 podcast series)Topic 1 - Origin story of The Cloudcast (brief)Topic 2 - It’s now been 529 days since the world shut down (in the US). How many Zoom calls have you attended in that time?  Topic 3 - “It can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit and an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.” What new, work-related habits have you formed?Topic 4 - How do you expect people to keep up with new technologies? Topic 5 - We’re at a weird stage, where lots of people say that they want to work-from-home (full or part-time), for various reasons (e.g. avoid commutes, cube-mates chews too loud, etc.), but also claim to be more burned out. Do you think people will take the time to learn new stuff?Topic 6 - Has the pandemic changed anything about how you’re effective? Do you think it’ll be permanent, or do you still have the “we’ll get back to normal” mindset?Topic 7 - Any tips or tricks to be an effective remote worker and tech leader?FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet

Security has been in the news quite a bit lately, both for failures and funding. But does security even matter anymore?  Nobody knows. SHOW: 544CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:Teleport Access Plane: Quickly access any computing resource anywhereTry Teleport for freeCloudZero - Cloud Cost Intelligence for Engineering Teams SHOW NOTES:Coverage of recent Security commitments from Cloud Providers2021 Top Security Breaches (Part I, Part II)The State of Cloud Security Report (2021)Microsoft warns thousands of cloud customers of exposed databases DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT SECURITY?“This is the worst cloud vulnerability you can imagine.”     WHAT IS THE PENALTY FOR BEING BAD AT SECURITY?The State of Cloud Security 2021 Report highlights several alarming facts, including:36% of companies suffered a serious cloud data leak or breach in the past 12 months8 out of 10 are worried that they’re vulnerable to a major misconfiguration breach 64% say the problem will get worse or stay the same Every company makes security a massive part of every purchasing decision. And yet the market doesn’t seem to do anything when a massive breach happens. How is this still the state of security? FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet

Jason Warner (@jasoncwarner, MD @redpointvc), a veteran of GitHub, Heroku and Canonical, talks about the process and challenges of hiring a VP of Engineering. SHOW: 543CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:Spot by NetAppMore Cloud, Less Cost (Spot by NetApp)CBT Nuggets: Expert IT Training for individuals and teamsSign up for a CBT Nuggets Free Learner account SHOW NOTES:Jason Warner joins RedPoint Ventures (Forbes)Jason Warner, CTO at GittHub (Forbes)Topic 1 - Welcome to the show. Tell us a little bit about your background prior to Redpoint VC and what you’re now focused on in the VC world. Topic 2 - Let’s start with “Why do you need to hire a VP of Engineering?” When does it matter as an early-stage startup, and why does it matter when a company is larger? {high leverage}Topic 3 - What are you looking for in that hire? What is your process for creating a potential list of candidates? What criteria are most important for you to evaluate? {curve bender}Topic 4 - We hear a lot about “engineering interviews” (technical). How much of that is involved in your hiring process, and how are you measuring the other disciplines that are needed for this role? Topic 5 - If you’re hiring from the outside, how much do you involve the engineering and product teams, and how do you think about the value of internal-knowledge vs. external-knowledge? Topic 6 - Once you identify the candidate, what steps do you take to encourage early success? How do you measure on-going activities?Topic 7 - What advice do you have for people that are interviewing for these roles?FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet

Cloud Computing has been around for more than a decade. It has generated tremendous growth and reshaped the tech industry. But is the “Cloud Honeymoon“ about to be over? SHOW: 542CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:CloudZero - Cloud Cost Intelligence for Engineering TeamsDatadog Database Monitoring: Modern Monitoring and AnalyticsGet started monitoring performance analytics from any database with a free 14 day Datadog trial. Listeners of The Cloudcast will also receive a free Datadog T-shirt.Teleport Access Plane: Quickly access any computing resource anywhereTry Teleport for freeSHOW NOTES:The honeymoon is over for Cloud Computing (Business Insider, August 2021)Repatriation and Cloud Cost Management (Cloudcast, Eps. 520)Is the public cloud growing fast enough? (Cloudcast, Eps.511) WHAT HAPPENS IF THE HONEYMOON IS ACTUALLY OVER?A recent article claimed that (public) Cloud Computing is moving into the next phase of maturity, and it will cause challenges for “the big three” cloud computing companies (AWS, Azure, GCP).    WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, AS CLOUD COMPUTING MOVES INTO THE NEXT PHASE?The Cost of Cloud, a Trillion Dollar Paradox (a16z)Morgan Stanley CIO survey - Will keep more data in data centers (after pandemic)Gartner report - company are moving away from “cloud first”MARKET DYNAMICSThe market is much more competitive than 10years ago, but they don’t have to convince customers that public cloud is viable anymore.  Legacy Applications move to SaaS; Cloud-native Apps move to Public CloudMigrations? Lift & Shift? Something simpler?Competitive consolidation has already happened (AWS, Azure, GCP). Cloud vendors have eaten parts of their ecosystem (see: Open Source)Price wars haven’t really happened yet. Cloud providers are trying to train the next generation of customers. We haven’t seen the cloud businesses leverage the other parts of the business (much) yet. Hybrid Cloud | Multi-Cloud 2.0 is coming, on purpose or accidentallyFEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet