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Infrastructure decisions I endorse or regret after 4 years at a startup (2024) (cep.dev)

530 points by Meetvelde · 152 days ago · 239 comments on HN

Article summary

The article discusses the author's experience with infrastructure decisions at a startup over the past four years, including choices such as using AWS over Google Cloud, adopting EKS, and utilizing various AWS services. The author endorses some decisions, such as using AWS and EKS, while regretting others, like using Datadog due to its high cost. The author also shares lessons learned from implementing various processes and tools, including GitOps and incident management. The goal is to provide insights for other startups making similar infrastructure decisions.

Main themes

  • Cloud Infrastructure
  • AWS vs GCP
  • Monitoring and Metrics
  • DevOps and GitOps
  • Cost Optimization
  • Support and Reliability
  • Multi-Account Management
  • Service Selection and Trade-offs

What commenters say

  • Some commenters disagree with the author's endorsement of AWS, citing GCP's architectural advantages and their own positive experiences with GCP.
  • The cost and value of premium support from cloud providers like AWS and GCP are debated, with some finding it essential and others considering it unnecessary.
  • The complexity and usability of GCP's UI and features, such as quotas and permissions management, are criticized by some commenters.
  • Others defend the design choices of cloud providers, explaining that they are intended to optimize infrastructure costs and prevent unintended resource usage.
  • The importance of direct support from cloud providers is emphasized by some, who have experienced critical production issues that required prompt resolution.
  • Alternative approaches to monitoring and metrics, such as homebrewing solutions, are discussed as potential alternatives to expensive commercial products like Datadog.
  • The challenges of managing multiple AWS accounts and the benefits of using tools like Control Tower and Account Factory for Terraform are highlighted.
  • The trade-offs between different cloud providers and services, including their pricing models and feature sets, are weighed by commenters considering their own infrastructure needs.