Early cloud infrastructure engineers wrote data files in YAML (or “yet another markup language”). These are incomprehensible to most developers, who code in more common languages, such as Java, TypeScript, .NET or Python.

Salvation from the steep learning curve created by cloud comes in the form of Amazon Web Services Inc.’s Cloud Developer Kit, which translates YAML to languages developers already know and love, according to Matt Coulter (pictured), technical architect at Liberty Information Technology Ltd., AWS Hero, and co-author of “The CDK Book.”

“It means that they can use everything they already know from all of their previous development experience and bring it to the cloud,” Coulter said.

Coulter spoke with Dave Vellante, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, during AWS re:Invent. They discussed the importance of prioritizing the developer experience and how CDK adoption abstracts away the complexity of coding for the cloud. (* Disclosure below.)

Simple serverless benefits both developers and customers

“I try to create the environment where other people can rapidly build software,” said Coulter, giving an unusual job description for a developer. But Coulter’s mission is not to code himself, but to empower others to code by evangelizing AWS’ CDK.

His quest started four or five years ago when the 109-year-old Liberty Mutual Group decided to modernize. As a member of Liberty’s IT division, Coulter was on the front lines of the transformation.

“It was hard. It was very different to anything that we’d done in the past,” he said. “When you start putting stuff into the cloud, it’s out there. It’s on the internet for anyone there to try and hack or try to get into. It was a bit overwhelming the amount that you needed to learn.”

After discovering CDK, Coulter became a convert to cloud. Now he spends his time working on increasing the company’s bottom line value and focusing on customer satisfaction rather than battling with complex code.

“We can write an abstraction for our specific needs once, and then everybody can use that abstraction,” he said. “If we want to make a change and make it better, everyone benefits instead of everybody doing the same thing all the time.”

Coulter joins Vogel for re:Invent keynote

Liberty Mutual’s serverless-first journey was spotlighted during re:Invent 2021, when Coulter joined Amazon.com Chief Technical Officer Werner Vogels on the keynote stage to receive the first-ever Now Go Build award.

“The key thing is with the serverless products that are being released now, they cost pennies if they’re low scale,” Coulter said. Product launches are so cheap, it can cost as little as $20.00 to trial and discover if there’s a market fit, he added.

Other benefits from the adoption of cloud include a better work environment, with engineers motivated by instant feedback.

“We have way more ownership over everything … so it feels like you’re truly a part of Liberty Mutual and you’re solving Liberty’s problems,” Coulter stated.

The benefits to the developers translate to better service for Liberty’s customers. An automated claims system has eliminated crisis bottlenecks, meaning that even in a major natural disaster customers can have claims processed in under four minutes, according to Coulter.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of AWS re:Invent. (* Disclosure: Amazon Web Services Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither AWS nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE