Risk-First: Stars of Software #3 - Kunal Kushwaha

Episode 3 — Kunal Kushwaha: Cloud Complexity, Community, and the Human Side of DevRelIn this episode of Risk-First: Stars of Software, Rob Moffat speaks with Kunal Kushwaha—Senior Developer Advocate at CAST AI, founder of the global WeMakeDevs community, CNCF Ambassador, and one of the most recognisable voices in today’s cloud-native ecosystem.Kunal’s work sits at the intersection of cloud infrastructure, developer education, and community-driven learning, focused on helping organisations reduce cloud waste, improve reliability and performance, and navigate the growing complexity of Kubernetes and AI-driven platforms. At its core, his perspective highlights that risk in modern technology is not just technical—it’s human, organisational, and economic. Together, Rob and Kunal explore:Why cloud complexity and over-provisioning create hidden financial and reliability risksHow developer relations connects human relationships to business outcomesLessons from building data-centre infrastructure and global developer communities early in a careerReal-world failures—from data-centre fires to open-source contribution overload—and what they teach about resilienceHow open source, AI agents, and autonomous cloud platforms are reshaping the future of softwareWhy success in technology still depends on focus, learning-by-doing, and strong human networksKunal KushwahaCAST AIhttps://cast.aiAutonomous cloud optimisation platform focused on performance, reliability, and cost efficiency.WeMakeDevs communityhttps://wemakedevs.orgGlobal developer community running hackathons, events, and learning programmes across 20+ countries.Tech With Nana (YouTube)https://www.youtube.com/c/TechWorldwithNanaClear, practical explanations of cloud-native and DevOps concepts.TLDR Newsletterhttps://tldr.techDaily curated updates across software engineering, AI, and startups.Hacker Newshttps://news.ycombinator.comCommunity-driven discussion of technical trends and projects.Product Hunthttps://www.producthunt.comDiscovery platform for new developer tools and technology products.Kubernetes Bloghttps://kubernetes.io/blogOfficial updates and deep dives from the Kubernetes ecosystem.Stuff You Should Knowhttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-you-should-know-26940277/Broad, curiosity-driven explorations of everyday topics.Science Vshttps://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vsEvidence-based deep dives into popular claims, including AI and technology.