About

I'm Sam Carr, an AWS Solutions Architect and professional tinkerer based in Glasgow, Scotland. I've spent the better part of a decade making distributed systems behave.

These days I work as an AWS Solutions Architect, which is a fancy way of saying I draw diagrams, argue about IAM policies, and occasionally write code that makes it to production. I'm passionate about all things technology, and I have an unhealthy persistence when it comes to proving an idea "could" work — even if "production ready" remains a distant aspiration.

This site exists because I kept forgetting how I solved problems six months ago. Turns out, writing things down helps. If it's useful to you too, that's a bonus.

I write about AWS, Azure (sometimes under duress), resilience patterns, FinOps, and the occasional GenAI integration. My opinions are my own and are probably wrong about at least some things.

What I'm Working On

  • Building resiliant systems that don't suck
  • Making cloud costs visible to teams who create them
  • Figuring out where GenAI actually adds value vs. hype

Certifications

(Because apparently we still need to prove we can pass multiple choice tests)

AWS Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02
AWS SysOps Administrator SOA-C02
AWS DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02
AWS Security Specialty SCS-C02
AWS AI Practitioner AIF-C01
Microsoft Azure Administrator AZ-104
Microsoft Azure AI Engineer AI-102
20 Metre Swimming Badge - The one that actually matters