Host: Stu Miniman Guest: Sai Vennam Production: Rohan Venkatram Sai Vennam joins host Stu Miniman on this new-year episode of In the Clouds for a wide-ranging, cloud-native conversation that blends community, technology, and a bit of behind-the-scenes creator magic. Sai has spent the last decade deep in Kubernetes, containers, and hybrid cloud - from his early days at IBM to his current role at AWS, where he helps accelerate Amazon EKS adoption and collaborates closely across the open-source ecosystem. Along the way, he’s become a familiar face to the community through conference talks, workshops, and wildly popular YouTube content - including those iconic IBM lightboard videos that racked up over a million views. (Kubernetes Explained) This episode is part cloud-native therapy session, and part 2026 tech trend analysis. Stu and Sai will unpack what they saw at KubeCon & AWS re:Invent, and how the industry is preparing itself going forward when it comes to cloud, Kubernetes, and AI - hype versus reality. They’ll explore: -The state of the cloud-native ecosystem - Kubernetes, hybrid cloud, and where AI actually fits -A candid look at community building, developer education, and open-source impact -A new-year conversation: 2025 recap, lessons learned, and “tech resolutions” heading into 2026 💬 Join live and bring your questions! Stu and Sai will take audience questions throughout the livestream - whether you want to talk Kubernetes, cloud strategy, AI, or how to level up your own tech content. 🛠️ Expect real talk, community insight, and practical perspectives from someone who’s built, shipped, taught, and recorded it all. 📅 Thursday, January 22 @10:00am ET 📍 Live on the Red Hat corporate YouTube & Twitch channels … Want to learn more? Try Red Hat OpenShift: https://red.ht/3Haxapr Follow us: Stu Miniman https://stu.bsky.social Red Hat https://www.linkedin.com/company/red-hat/ Sai Vennam https://x.com/birdsaiview Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWUr2MzY3M0 Subscribe to Red Hat's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/redhat/?sub_confirmation=1 About OpenShift: Red Hat OpenShift is an open source container application platform based on the Kubernetes container orchestrator for enterprise application development and deployment. OpenShift on redhat.com https://red.ht/3JBaOia OpenShift on GitHub https://github.com/openshift/ #RedHat #OpenShift #hybridcloud ……… Timestamps & Chapters [00:00] Intro: Welcome to 2026 Stu kicks off the new year, reflecting on the shift from talking about AI to implementing cloud operating models. [01:56] Meet Sai Vennam & The AWS Journey Sai shares his background moving from IBM BlueMix and Cloud Foundry to his current role focusing on Amazon EKS and Kubernetes at AWS. [06:02] State of the State: Kubernetes & The Paradox of Choice Is the ecosystem moving too fast? Sai discusses the shift from feature velocity to stability and the "paradox of choice" facing developers in 2026. [10:00] Blurring Lines: Serverless vs. Containers Stu asks about the convergence of serverless and container technologies. Sai explains why we are returning to opinionated platforms to remove "undifferentiated heavy lifting". [13:40] The Resurgence of Platform Engineering Why is Platform Engineering trending again? The duo discusses reducing cognitive load, "paved roads," and how tools like Backstage are solving shadow IT. [20:05] AI in Production: Will It Take Your Job? Addressing the "hype vs. production" fears. Sai explains why AI won't make you obsolete, but failing to evolve with AI tools might. [25:30] Evolution of AI: From Chatbots to Teammates How are developers actually using AI? Sai details the massive shift from simple text-in/text-out chatbots to autonomous agents living in your IDE and Slack channels. [31:23] Update: Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA) A look at the maturity of the Red Hat and AWS partnership. Discussion on how ROSA helps customers bridge the gap between on-prem strategies and the cloud. [37:05] Rapid Fire: One Hour to Stimulate Your Mind Stu asks Sai how he would spend a free hour. Sai reveals he’s using it to build financial trackers using AI agents in the IDE. [39:33] Rapid Fire: Lightboards vs. Live Stages Does Sai prefer the camera or the crowd? A look at why face-to-face interaction has become his favorite way to engage. [40:53] Rapid Fire: The Biggest Kubernetes Change in 5 Years Sai identifies the abstraction of the data plane (like EKS Auto Mode and Karpenter) as the most critical shift for Kubernetes users. [43:58] Content Consumption: TikTok vs. Deep Dives A discussion on attention spans. Why short-form content is the perfect hook, but long-form content remains essential for deep learning. [47:31] Upcoming Events & Closing Where to find Sai and the Red Hat team next, including KubeCon Amsterdam and AWS Summits.

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