# Why Most IT Engineers Never Become Cloud Architects (The 3 Buckets You're Missing)

## Метаданные

- **Канал:** IT k Funde
- **YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5Km98YMFv0
- **Дата:** 23.04.2026
- **Длительность:** 16:28
- **Просмотры:** 5,944
- **Источник:** https://ekstraktznaniy.ru/video/50050

## Описание

You've got cloud experience. You know AWS. You've done the certifications.
So why are you still not getting called for Cloud Architect roles?

The answer isn't more technical knowledge.
It's a completely different way of thinking — and most engineers miss it.

In this video, I break down the exact roadmap to transition from Cloud 
Engineer to Senior Cloud Architect — including the 4-layer toolkit, the 
3 skill buckets, and a 4-step action plan you can start today.

This is based on 10+ years of real IT consulting experience. No fluff. 
No inflated claims.

─────────────────────────────────
🧰 THE CLOUD ARCHITECT TOOLKIT (4 LAYERS)
─────────────────────────────────

🔹 Foundation Layer
TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, Linux commands, hands-on cloud platform experience

🔹 Layer 1 — Core Services
Databases, AI, Compute, Storage, Security, IAM, Microservices, Kubernetes

🔹 Layer 2 — Advanced Architecture
High availability, scalability, cost optimisation, disaster recovery, 
serverless vs monolith pa

## Транскрипт

### Why cloud engineers get stuck []

I think this is by far the most common question, career-related question I have got on my channel, and that is, "Sir, I've been in cloud roles, but now I want to switch to a senior cloud architect role. I want to go into cloud architecture. Am I eligible? Am I good enough? Do I have the required skill? What market could pay me if I move to cloud architect role? " So, I've kind of made this quick video where we will talk about this. We'll talk about the skills, the mindset change which we need. If you're already a cloud engineer, well done. You are very close. You already know what is needed at a fundamental level. If you're completely new also, I think this will be one of the best videos you can watch today because it will exactly tell you what is not discussed right now. And that is more around things which I feel are more important. So, the big caveat, we are not talking salary packages in this video, and we are not talking certifications. I think these are overhyped. Now, I think things which will matter would be the skills and the mindset you bring on the table, and then you can demand whatever you want because then you are deserving. So, without further ado, let's understand. So, we'll start with the mindset between architect and engineer. We'll also understand the toolkit which you need. Three skill basket which I feel are very important. And then a four-step action plan you can start implementing from today. So, let's get started. So, imagine that, you know, this is a house which is being planned, okay? First of all, what you will do before building any house, you will hire an architect, okay? That architect will understand will sit with you understand from you what exactly you want. What is the definition of a good perfect home for that particular person or the customer? And then what all things will be needed from design perspective, from cost perspective, from different features perspective, which then architect will take and then design this dream home for the customer. So, architect starts way before than a cloud engineer starts, okay? So, once the architect comes up with this plan, he will define what would be the floor plan, electricity, for example, plumbing, tiles, municipal corporation

### The mindset shift that changes everything [2:00]

approvals, and different stuff. You can also, if you're rich enough, can have a lift as well. So, this is architect. But in order to achieve all these things, there would be specialized roles which engineers play, cloud engineers, okay? So, in this case, it could be your compute, your databases, your security, cost, like FinOps, where you will be managing your finances. Now, again, FinOps is not a core cloud engineer role, but I'm just telling that this is also becoming prevalent. So, all these kind of specialized roles will be done by cloud engineers. So, the biggest challenge which comes is that if you have been an electrician, can you also become a database expert? Because the biggest hurdle which is faced by people are because they've been working in one particular domain within the cloud, they are not confident enough that they can switch to another thing because in architect, it's all about breadth of knowledge, okay? While engineer is more about the depth of knowledge. That does not mean that architects are just surface level. They have been in depth of one of these, but then they slowly built on top of it. They started focusing on what I have continuously talked on this channel, and which is very famous, which is called as a T-shaped learning. So, you go deep in one thing, and then you stack multiple skills, okay? So, this is something which is the fundamental difference between a cloud architect. Now, I can write cloud here and cloud engineer, okay? So, you have to think around systems. at a higher level how this whole trade-off how this whole architecture will work with trade-offs. When it comes to cost versus speed, speed versus reliability, you have to understand, guys, that as an architect, you are at the intersection of technology, business, and decision-making. TBD, to be discussed. TBD, for me, technology, business, and decision-making, okay? So, you have to be that bridge between people who don't know a thing about building a house versus someone who is doing the tiles on that house. You understand? The person who's doing the tiles does not know why this house is being built. They do not care. They do not give a damn about it. And the customer who needs the tile don't know how to explain that they want this kind of a tile with this dimension. So, this is where the architect sits in between business and the core technologists, core cloud engineers, support teams, all those kind of people, okay? So, now that's step one. So, now we have understood what is the difference between these two roles and the mindset needed. Now, the second part is that what are the skills required, okay? So, for this, let me draw pyramid kind of a skill stack toolkit for you. So, friends, let's discuss the toolkit which you need. So, at a foundation level, the foundational knowledge is very, very important. It starts even before you enter the cloud. So, foundational knowledge of how network works, basic knowledge. You can go and check out the fundamental network infrastructure series on this channel. What is TCP? What is IP? How the network works? What is DNS? What is HTTP, HTTPS? Linux, you need to know Linux. Without Linux, you cannot enter cloud. You have to master Linux commands, any particular

### The 4-Layer Cloud Architect Toolkit [5:00]

Linux distribution like Ubuntu, and then pick any one cloud platform. And I would always suggest pick the cloud platform which is not in demand, but which is right now you can do practically things on. So, if your project or your particular account where you are doing the job is using Azure, there's no point of going after GCP and AWS. Do things in Azure because you have the possibility of getting work on that cloud doing it live in enterprise environment. So, I highly encourage you pick the cloud where you have the maximum chance face real-life scenarios and use cases. At level one, you start building your core cloud services, like databases, AI services, compute, storage, identity and access management, security. And that is where I would like to tell you about one of the courses which we have on our website, which is AWS Cloud Jumpstart. If you're completely new, this course takes you to that foundational journey. It introduces you every core service one by one with easy-to-understand examples. So, if you're someone who's looking to start their career on cloud, then definitely check that link in the description. I think it might be helpful for you. I have also added MS, which is microservices, and K8S, which is Kubernetes. Initially, I would have not kept it in core cloud services, but today, in the age of serverless, I think this has become kind of a core thing in almost everything which we are doing. So, it's better to consider it as a core service to master at layer one or level one of your toolkit. At layer two, you start going into the advanced things like understanding the architecture patterns, how the high availability architecture works, how you bring in scalability, cost optimization. So, trade-offs, okay? This and this both are possible, but which is cheaper? Licensing, DR means disaster recovery, how you choose between serverless architecture versus something which is a monolith architecture. There are different architecture patterns. Very, very specific names are there for those design patterns and architecture patterns which you have to master. But the thing is, it's very difficult to mug it up. give an interview just by ratifying or mugging up these things because this will only come to you naturally, organically once you start doing this hands-on, okay? So, this is where it differentiates a normal cloud architect versus someone who has got his hands dirty. And at the top layer, and this is my favorite layer, guys, because this is the most ignored one. And I love this layer. Maybe, if you guys want, put in the comment section, and I can build something around this as a curriculum, as a cohort, and we can come and discuss this, okay? Give me those inputs. I need it. So, business plus client. As a senior cloud architect, you have to understand requirements. trade-offs. You have to make presentations, present these proof of concepts, present these design options to the customer, convince them why this option is better than the other. And then, obviously, it is something which is needed as a lot of soft skills are required for this, okay? So, you need to be good at it. And then approvals, because once you decide that you are going with this particular solution, you are not the king. You're just one small architect in the big setup. So, you need to go to these design authorities, architecture design authorities, database design authorities, security. And you have to get these approved by the senior enterprise architects. So, all this is not discussed, not taught. And when engineers think about moving to architect role, they directly think all about technology, but don't understand that this is also equally important for you to stand apart. So, this is the toolkit. Now, let's go to those three buckets which I talked about. What are those three buckets? And then we'll close the video with the four-step clear action plan which you can take today to start this journey. So, guys, these are three buckets which I have already touched upon, but let's refresh that. So, the bucket one is the bucket you are most comfortable with. This is your technical skill bucket. As an architect, you need technology as your fundamental core. So, you need to know all these things. I'm not going to touch it now. We have already talked. So, you need to be good at technology. But bucket two and bucket three are equally important. So, from business understanding perspective, you need to understand things like cost optimization. You need to be able to talk to CXOs of the companies on potential ROI. What is ROI? Return on investment. So, when you are proposing a solution, how it would convert back in terms of business benefit, whether it will help them increase their bottom line or sustain their top line, okay? Bottom line, top line. Just understand it at a basic level for now. So, basically, whether it will help them decrease their cost or increase their revenue, something like that, okay? Don't go into the detail. If you want, we can break this down further in videos. Preparing requirement document, trade-off analysis with different stakeholders. Well-architected framework, AWS provides a well-architected framework guide which helps you base your solution against every pillar. Sustainability, for example, is a very important pillar for some companies who really want to help this environment by going carbon neutral. So, you have to talk in terms of business. You have to understand how business runs. Then soft skills, persuasion is a very important skill

### The 3 Skill Buckets (most people only have 1) [10:00]

because you have to convince a lot of people that what you are thinking is right, this solution is the best way forward. Reviews, you have to be part of a lot of reviews. You have to again go, talk, and advocate what you are thinking, and convince people. Stakeholder management, vendor management, written communication, you have to write a lot of emails, make presentations. One very good tip in presentation is don't write too much text in your uh presentation. Presentation should deliver message in few words and images. That's it. And then you have to do a lot of talking like how I'm doing. You don't have to write everything in the PPT. Don't make it a soup, okay? Just keep it very clean. A tip which will not only help as an architect, but overall in your professional journey. Whiteboarding. So, if you are in a room, what impresses me the most, how I check how much depth an architect has is that an architect with a lot of experience, when he feels that there's confusion arising in the room and no one is able to understand, he simply picks up the marker, go to the whiteboard, and start explaining. So, when you can whiteboard, you know, that shows confidence. That shows to the stakeholders and the customer that this guy knows what he's talking. So, learn how to whiteboard. You can simply take a pen and draw these things, the ideas which are coming to your mind in a pen and paper before going into an important meeting, so that just in case they ask you to explain it in more detail, you can jump and do it. Design thinking, thinking in terms of systems, thinking and connecting the dots, very important. So, these are some skills which are not discussed, which are not taught. Again, you guys tell me if you want something around this, I can definitely prepare and do more because this is my interest area. Now, I'm 20 years in IT. I have filled this bucket a lot, but at my level, I think these two buckets are more important because technology right now, even a 4-year, 5-year person knows more than me today in technology. I would be humble enough to accept it. But where I come in, where my experience comes in, it comes here. I have worked with businesses. I have sat on tables where these business decisions were made, and I have honed these skills over so many years. So, I'm here, I'm confident that these are the things which will also help you. So, let me know. So, coming to a four-step action plan for me, okay? Number one, audit. What is audit? Audit your gaps today. So, take your pen and paper, write whatever you know about your current role, and how far you are from moving to a cloud architect role. You can also write a simple prompt. Give your resume, talk about all your projects and experiences with ChatGPT or any AI tool, and ask for this audit gap analysis. It will directly tell you where you are lacking, okay? Second is find. What is find? Find is find the next nearest available opportunity to get into a project where you can either work as an architect, or as a cloud engineer, or work with a set of individuals who are very close to these kind of skill sets. Like maybe you could be a part of a team where you're working very closely with a senior architect, cloud architect. And even if you are not getting an opportunity to get closer to a cloud architect, you can definitely work with an enterprise architect, or maybe anyone who's senior enough who works day in and day out making these decisions. Trust me, this is not specific to architects. BRMs, your delivery partners, your senior people, all the time they do this, business and soft skills. It might not be very technically driven, but you will learn a lot. So, find the next best opportunity within your company, within your project. If your project does not give it, ask for a release, find a new project within the account or outside the account. The third is build. Now, you have to start building proofs. So, you have to create your GitHub repository. You have to build these things either in your project, but again, if you can showcase it in a public forum using your GitHub, then you can, you know, come up with a solution, talk about it like how you came up with this solution design, and how you implemented it. Talk about it on Git. Prepare your Git as a proof for now because people do check your GitHub repository if you mention it in your resume. But even if you don't get that, start building in whatever capacity you can. So, get a free cloud license. There are different playbooks which you can refer. There are different courses which gives you hands-on project experience. So, you have to start building things. But before building, you have to envision. So, always remember the difference between an architect and engineer is engineer does what architect tells him to do. So, you have to now start doing a lot of thinking about how you will plan this solution. And then target. Target is once you think you have done this, what is your next target? Is it going to your boss and telling him that you are ready for moving into a cloud architect role? Is it going to LinkedIn and changing your job profile or looking for jobs and applying? Is it asking for a referral from one of your friends who's already a cloud architect or working in a company where there is a opening? All these are targets, okay? So, once you have done this, you can target. So, this is my four-step action plan which I would have taken if someone would have asked me to go about this career role change. And

### 4-Step Action Plan to start today [15:00]

then there is a disclaimer, guys. And what is this disclaimer? I have intentionally skipped certifications. I could have added a five-step action plan where one step would have been to do certifications, get certified, but I think it has become so common that I don't think it is valuable for you to listen it from me. And I personally feel that in today's age, uh your hands-on experience and your life projects matter way more than your certification, but still, the disclaimer is getting certified is not bad idea, especially when you are fighting against a large pool of resources, and where ATS is tracking your resume, those certifications might get you that foot in the door opportunity so that you can at least appear for the interview. So, definitely, definitely I would say if you are having the bandwidth, and if you can prioritize, do prioritize your certifications as well. But don't take it as a only thing which you is needed for you to land in a successful job because landing a job is one thing, and succeeding in it is another thing. So, certifications, yes, definitely, let's write certifications. I would not say it's bad. If you can do it, well and good, it will be an armor in your whole profile. But again, don't get fixated on it. So, yeah, this is something which I wanted to talk about. Hope it was insightful. Again, if you want to learn more, hit the like, share, subscribe, uh give your comments as to what you would want to learn next in this journey. Are you excited to learn more about cloud architect role? And yeah, until next time, keep learning, keep sharing, and keep growing. Bye for now.