marksmith.dev
My Thoughts
Exploring web development, design patterns, and the future of technology.
Tag: #Infrastructure

How I Save Thousands Running My Own Cloud Instead of AWS
I do not think cloud is bad. I think it is often overpriced for steady workloads. As of April 8, 2026, three always-on AWS instances that roughly cover my web, app, and database baseline add up to about $805/month before storage, balancing, backups, and internet transfer. For stable workloads, that is exactly why I still prefer fixed-cost self-hosting.

I Can't Code. Here's How I've Built Production-Grade Applications Anyway.
I spent 15 years in infrastructure and application support. The part I never enjoyed was hand-writing syntax. Current coding agents such as Claude Code and OpenAI Codex changed that equation: they can read codebases, edit files, run commands, and work in terminals, IDEs, and the cloud. What they do not replace is judgment, architecture, and operational experience.