Getting started with AWS can be overwhelming, like treading on uncharted waters. Hence, it’s essential to map out how AWS supports startups and their requirements. Discovering and implementing the right features can get you the best results and make using AWS a smooth sail.
Startups can leverage AWS Activate to access free tools, resources, material, and content and build a startup. AWS provides more than 40 solution templates to develop and deploy a variety of products. In addition, it offers a rich library of tips and recommendations for technical requirements.
Why do Startups Need a Credible Solution for Development?
The success of startups can be directly correlated to a good user experience. Their journey from ideation to execution is driven by the rewards they will receive from their hassle-free services. According to a research article in Harvard Business Review, most failures that startups experience can be avoided through technical training.
Did you know that 6% of startups fail due to tech-related problems? This means that either these startups have chosen the wrong tech stack, or they lack in terms of security, or they are using outdated solutions for their development purposes.
We can relate this directly to another statistic indicating that 16% of startups fail because of cash flow problems. Quite evidently, if you invest in the wrong technologies, build the wrong product, and work with the wrong team, all of these lead to cash burn.
Amazon AWS presents a novel solution for startups and businesses to build effective solutions backed by formidable technology. While using AWS requires some learning, it can easily be mastered by even those with no technical experience.
What is AWS Activate?
The AWS Activate Founders is a program by Amazon allowing startup founders and entrepreneurs to build and grow their businesses. The suite of free tools and resources allows founders to build their product and launch in the market faster quickly, and that too, at lower costs.
However, to begin with, AWS Activate, the startup must satisfy the eligibility criteria;
- The startup or founder must be new to AWS Activate.
- The company must be funded or unfunded. The eligible series of a startup includes Pre-Seed, Angel, Seed, Debt Finance, and Series A.
- The applying company must have a website or a public profile.
- Lastly, the company must have been founded in the last 10 years.
Successful startups like DoorDash, Deliveroo, and even Airbnb have created their applications with the AWS Activate suite.
How AWS Makes a Difference in Startup Development?
When you are building an application, a website, or a web application, it has a front end and a back end.
The front end is the client’s end or the interface your customers will engage with. The back end includes the system that powers the front end and makes sure that the clients have a memorable user experience.
In AWS Cloud, the back end has the following aspects;
- User Authentication
- Data Store
- File Store
- API
- Web Analytics
Amazon Cloud has a solution for all these components. However, using them requires some basic understanding and experience with technology. AWS Activate or its related services make it easier for startup founders to work on their products, even if they have a non-tech background.
AWS allows startup founders and entrepreneurs to build, test, deploy, and troubleshoot applications quickly and repeatedly. For a startup, understanding its customers and getting feedback about its product is essential. AWS allows startup founders to quickly add or remove these features and deliver better experiences to customers.
Here’s how it works;
- For a startup, it is essential to build and manage the required infrastructure. The AWS infrastructure model provides continuous access to repeatable infrastructure. This can be done with CloudFormation and or AWS Cloud Development Kit.
- For building, testing, and deploying the application automatically, you can use AWS CodePipeline. It automates the release sequence of software or application. Hence, startups can quickly process fast, tested, and reliable updates.
- Moving forward, the startups can use AWS Code Build for continuous integration. This is required for building, testing, and packaging code. It allows the founders to compile the source code, run tests, and churn out deployable software packages.
- Lastly, the AWS CloudWatch is a service allowing startups to monitor their product’s performance regularly. It can provide data and analytics, making the behind-the-scenes picture visible and demonstrating the performance. In this, you can also set alarms and reminders to respond to the arising issues effectively.
With all these pre-installed components and access to templates, businesses can progress with ease. As they use the available services, it becomes easier to build and deploy user-friendly products.
AWS does not limit its services to startups and founders. To help freshers with learning, a wide range of resources are available, including webinars, blogs, technical content, and presentations.
Even though AWS makes development and deployment easier, there is a learning curve. Furthermore, the founders will find a step-by-step guide on the website, sharing details of every step and process along the way.
In essence, Amazon Web Services has made cloud-based application development, testing, and deployment accessible to everyone. Going one step ahead, founders can also integrate Machine Learning systems in their products with AWS. It helps them go serverless and also use containerization for development and deployment.
Conclusion
Making a robust business from a startup is easier said than done. In an era when 90% of startups fail, AWS is giving these new businesses a ray of hope for taking their venture to the next stage. From helping them create products quickly to making changes, improving their outcomes, and monitoring their performance, AWS is built to make a startup’s journey smooth, cost-efficient, and quick.