Title

AWS re:Invent 2022 - State of cloud: The shift from consumers to creators (PRT401)

Summary

• The cloud industry is shifting from a focus on infrastructure to creating and building solutions.
• There is a leadership gap, not a skills gap, in cloud computing, with a need for better alignment between expectations and execution.
• The speaker shared experiences from Capital One and A Cloud Guru, emphasizing the importance of a Cloud Center of Enablement over a Cloud Center of Excellence.
• Cloud computing is ubiquitous, with workers using numerous cloud services daily, and SaaS being a significant portion of cloud spending.
• A significant challenge is the lack of cloud literacy within organizations, with 50% of IT cloud migration projects delayed due to skill shortages.
• Leaders are eager to adopt new technologies, but there is a disconnect with the basic training needs of the workforce.
• The speaker advocates for a focus on talent transformation, with cloud fluency at scale being critical for sustainable cloud adoption.
• Certifications are seen as a cornerstone of cloud literacy, providing a common language and framework.
• Hands-on, experiential learning is crucial for achieving cloud fluency.
• Achieving critical mass in cloud fluency is necessary to transition from a minority opinion to a widespread organizational culture.
• The speaker suggests that organizations should invest as much in talent migration to the cloud as in application migration.
• The talk concludes with a call to action for leaders to develop comprehensive and actionable plans for upskilling their workforce in cloud computing.

Insights

• The cloud industry is experiencing rapid growth, with a projected increase in spending to $600 billion by the following year.
• Despite the growth, there is a significant delay in cloud migration projects due to a lack of skilled personnel, indicating a need for better cloud education and training.
• The speaker highlights a discrepancy between the eagerness of leaders to adopt new cloud technologies and the basic training needs of the majority of the workforce.
• The presentation underscores the importance of cloud fluency at scale, suggesting that without a critical mass of skilled individuals, organizations cannot fully leverage the benefits of cloud computing.
• The speaker's experience suggests that certifications are not just a formality but a valuable tool for establishing a baseline of cloud knowledge and expertise.
• The concept of "critical mass" in cloud fluency is likened to a tipping point in social constructs, where reaching a certain threshold can lead to widespread adoption within an organization.
• The talk emphasizes the importance of hands-on learning and the integration of learning into the workday, rather than expecting employees to pursue training outside of work hours.
• The speaker identifies a leadership gap where many leaders fail to recognize the importance of investing in cloud skills development as part of their cloud maturity strategy.
• The presentation concludes with a strong message for leaders to shift from being consumers of cloud talent to creators of cloud talent by investing in their workforce's cloud education and skills development.