Is Redshift Outpacing Hadoop as The Big Data Warehouse for Startups?
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Is Redshift Outpacing Hadoop as The Big Data Warehouse for Startups?

More and more startups are looking at Redshift as a cheaper & faster solution for big data & analytics. Saggi Neumann posted a pretty good side-by-side comparison of Redshift & Hadoop and concluded they were tied based on your individual use case. Meanwhile, Bitly Engineering concluded Redshift was much easier. Why Should You Choose Redshift Outpacing Hadoop…

Are Pioneers & Process People Different Breeds?
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Are Pioneers & Process People Different Breeds?

I was just reading Oliver Eidel’s blog. He had a great post, with some provocative ideas. Pioneers versus Process people. Now since I love to play devil’s advocate, after reading this thought-provoking article, I thought I would write a bit of my take. Are Pioneers and Process Really Characteristics Of Two Different People? As Oliver describes…

Do Simpler Systems Fail Better?

Do Simpler Systems Fail Better?

I was recently reading Greg Kogan’s blog Simple Systems have less downtime. It really caught my attention. As a professional services consultant over the years, I’ve worked with almost 200 firms. And many of those required the unraveling of complex systems. And systems that were no longer well understood after the first wave of builders have…

What Can We Learn from NASA’s AWS Fail?
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What Can We Learn from NASA’s AWS Fail?

I was just reading the Register, which is sort of the UK’s version of Slashdot, and they had a jaw-dropping title. NASA moved 247 petabytes into AWS and then later learned about EGRESS costs OMG! Facepalm. Wow. To say this is a disaster is an understatement. Could it have been prevented? Not likely by 100% strategic…

Does AWS Have a Dirty Little Secret?
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Does AWS Have a Dirty Little Secret?

I was recently talking with a colleague of mine about where AWS is today. Obviously, these companies are migrating to EC2 & the cloud rapidly. The growth rates are staggering. The question was… “What’s good and bad with Amazon today?” It’s an interesting question. I think there are some dirty little secrets here, but also…

Beware The Client

Beware The Client

Recently I was searching Google for “startup consultant” to see what I might find. I came across this article by John Greathouse titled Beware the Consultant. No self-respecting, hard-working consultant would sit back and take hits without defense, so in true poetry slam style, I thought I’d write a quick retort. Beware the Client… Truth Is…

Don’t Be That Guy–Social Tips for Geeks

Don’t Be That Guy–Social Tips for Geeks

As a tech consultant, one of the most interesting parts of the job is being able to observe human relations at work. I’ve learned through the years that because tech people and non-tech people speak different ‘languages’, bridging the communication gap is a critical part of my role as a consultant. How Should You Treat…