How to reduce your AWS NAT Gateway bill
Cost optimization strategies for AWS networking infrastructure, covering NAT Gateway alternatives and best practices for reducing cloud networking expenses.
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Things I've published
Practical Cloud Architecture
The AWS Well Architected framework is more than a set of best practices; it's one of AWS' best Marketing initiatives. It's trained thousands of engineers and architects on the best way to spend the most money in AWS. And while the values are sound, it requires a practical approach to build the right thing, for the right price.
AWS NAT Gateway, Fargate, & ECR Cost Gotcha
A deep dive into the hidden costs of AWS NAT Gateway when using Fargate and ECR, and how to avoid unexpected networking charges.
AWS VPC Network Security: Segmenting Your Network
Best practices for securing your AWS infrastructure through proper VPC network segmentation and isolation strategies.
Publish AWS CloudWatch Metrics with Node.js and TypeScript
A practical guide to publishing custom CloudWatch metrics from your Node.js applications using TypeScript and the AWS SDK.
AWS Certificate Manager DNS Validation with Terraform
Automating SSL/TLS certificate provisioning and DNS validation using AWS Certificate Manager and Terraform.
Cleanup S3 buckets with Go & Cobra CLI
Practical guide to building a CLI tool for automated S3 bucket cleanup during infrastructure teardown using Go and Cobra.
Adding Custom Cognito SignUp Message with Terraform and Lambda
Implementing custom email confirmations for AWS Cognito user signups using Lambda triggers and Terraform configuration.
Secure By Default: Using HashiCorp Packer With AWS and EBS
Creating Amazon Machine Images with encrypted root devices using Packer—a repeatable solution for meeting PCI, HIPAA, and FISMA compliance requirements.
Developer Tips
Quick, practical tips and tricks for everyday software development—from testing patterns to build tooling.
The Anemic Domain Model in Kotlin — explained
Exploring domain modeling patterns and understanding the trade-offs between anemic and rich domain models for testable code.
How to write Object Equality assertions correctly with JUnit
Understanding why assertEquals fails on objects and how to properly override equals() and hashCode() for reliable test assertions.
Easy NPM lifecycle hooks for custom commands
Leveraging NPM's pre and post hooks for custom scripts to automate workflows like building before deployment.
Should I Build a Native App or Web Solution?
Comparing native apps, cross-platform frameworks, and web apps to help businesses choose the right approach based on performance, cost, and user experience trade-offs.
Full NestJS Starter Kit — Part 1 HTTP Endpoints
Foundation for building testable HTTP endpoints in NestJS with proper structure and test coverage from the start.
Full NestJS Starter Kit — Part 2 Authentication & Authorization
Implementing secure authentication and authorization patterns in NestJS applications with modern best practices.
Full NestJS Starter Kit — Part 3 Environment Variables
Best practices for managing environment variables in NestJS cloud applications with type safety and validation.
Full NestJS Starter Kit — Part 4 Observability
Implementing comprehensive observability in NestJS applications with logging, metrics, and tracing for cloud-native monitoring.
Full NestJS Starter Kit — Part 5 API Documentation & Client Code Generation
Automating API documentation and client code generation in NestJS to accelerate development and reduce manual errors.
Full NestJS Starter Kit — Part 6 Exception Handling
Building robust error handling and exception management patterns in NestJS applications with proper testing strategies.
Full NestJS Starter Kit — Part 7 Local Environment Dev Containers
Setting up consistent local development environments using Dev Containers for NestJS cloud applications.
AI Agents
Building and testing agentic AI systems with LangGraph. From unit testing individual nodes to experiment-driven evaluation with LangSmith—practical approaches to shipping reliable AI agents.
9 Lessons Learned from Using Cursor Coding Agents in Production
Hard-won insights from using AI coding agents in real-world production environments—what works, what doesn't, and how to get the most out of them.
How we unit test LangGraph Agents
Practical strategies for unit testing LangGraph agents, covering how to isolate and test individual nodes in your agentic systems.
From Tests to Experiments: Evaluating LangGraph Agents with LangSmith and Pytest
Moving beyond traditional testing to experiment-driven evaluation of LLM-based systems using LangSmith's pytest integration.
Modernization & Integration
Strategies for bridging legacy systems with modern applications—from abstraction layers and system modernization to eCommerce integration and headless architecture.
The Power of Abstraction Layers in Digital Transformation
How abstraction layers serve as a strategic bridge between legacy systems and modern applications, enabling rapid digital transformation without complete system overhauls.
A Guide to Legacy System Modernization
A practical roadmap for updating outdated technology through refactoring, replatforming, or replacing—treating modernization as a strategic, phased initiative.
Complete Guide to ERP eCommerce Integration
Eliminating the gap between your eCommerce platform and ERP system through phased integration, from order flow automation to real-time inventory synchronization.
How Headless Commerce Improves Customer Experience and Development Speed
Understanding headless commerce architecture—decoupling frontend from backend to enable faster development, better omnichannel experiences, and future-proof systems.
My Home Lab
Sometimes I just want to build something because it's awesome. My home lab is where I experiment with hardware, open-source software, and custom applications without worrying about whether it's the right choice.
My (completely unnecessary) home lab setup
A journey through building a hybrid compute cluster with Docker Swarm, Raspberry Pi 5s, and custom applications—making architectural decisions simply because they're awesome.
