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

Episode 3 — Kunal Kushwaha: Cloud Complexity, Community, and the Human Side of DevRel

In 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 risks
• How developer relations connects human relationships to business outcomes
• Lessons from building data-centre infrastructure and global developer communities early in a career
• Real-world failures—from data-centre fires to open-source contribution overload—and what they teach about resilience
• How open source, AI agents, and autonomous cloud platforms are reshaping the future of software
• Why success in technology still depends on focus, learning-by-doing, and strong human networks

Kunal Kushwaha

• CAST AI
  https://cast.ai
  Autonomous cloud optimisation platform focused on performance, reliability, and cost efficiency.
• WeMakeDevs community
  https://wemakedevs.org
  Global developer community running hackathons, events, and learning programmes across 20+ countries.

• Tech With Nana (YouTube)
  https://www.youtube.com/c/TechWorldwithNana
  Clear, practical explanations of cloud-native and DevOps concepts.
• TLDR Newsletter
  https://tldr.tech
  Daily curated updates across software engineering, AI, and startups.
• Hacker News
  https://news.ycombinator.com
  Community-driven discussion of technical trends and projects.
• Product Hunt
  https://www.producthunt.com
  Discovery platform for new developer tools and technology products.
• Kubernetes Blog
  https://kubernetes.io/blog
  Official updates and deep dives from the Kubernetes ecosystem.

• Stuff You Should Know
  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-you-should-know-26940277/
  Broad, curiosity-driven explorations of everyday topics.
• Science Vs
  https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs
  Evidence-based deep dives into popular claims, including AI and technology.