Infra.new is a DevOps platform designed to simplify infrastructure management. It offers a conversational interface (a "copilot") that allows users to describe their desired infrastructure in plain English, which the platform then translates into Terraform code. Crucially, Infra.new incorporates built-in guardrails and best practices to prevent common infrastructure misconfigurations and ensure security. This aims to make infrastructure provisioning and management more accessible and less error-prone, even for users with limited DevOps experience. The platform is currently in beta and focused on AWS.
IBM has finalized its acquisition of HashiCorp, aiming to create a comprehensive, end-to-end hybrid cloud platform. This combination brings together IBM's existing hybrid cloud portfolio with HashiCorp's infrastructure automation tools, including Terraform, Vault, Consul, and Nomad. The goal is to provide clients with a streamlined experience for building, deploying, and managing applications across any environment, from on-premises data centers to multiple public clouds. This acquisition is intended to solidify IBM's position in the hybrid cloud market and accelerate the adoption of its hybrid cloud platform.
HN commenters are largely skeptical of IBM's ability to successfully integrate HashiCorp, citing IBM's history of failed acquisitions and expressing concern that HashiCorp's open-source ethos will be eroded. Several predict a talent exodus from HashiCorp, and some anticipate a shift towards competing products like Pulumi, Ansible, and Terraform alternatives. Others question the strategic rationale behind the acquisition, suggesting IBM overpaid and may struggle to monetize HashiCorp's offerings. The potential for increased vendor lock-in and higher prices are also raised as concerns. A few commenters express a cautious hope that IBM might surprise them, but overall sentiment is negative.
Nango, a platform simplifying the development and management of product integrations, is seeking a senior full-stack engineer. The role involves building and maintaining core product features, including their SDKs and API. Ideal candidates have strong experience with TypeScript, React, Node.js, and PostgreSQL, as well as a passion for developer tools and a desire to work in a fast-paced startup environment. This remote position offers competitive salary and equity, with the opportunity to significantly impact a growing product.
Hacker News users discussed Nango's hiring post with a focus on the broad tech stack requirements. Several commenters expressed concern about the expectation for a single engineer to be proficient in frontend (React, Typescript), backend (Node.js, Python, Postgres), and DevOps (AWS, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes). This sparked debate about the feasibility of finding such a "full-stack" engineer and whether this listing actually indicated a need for multiple specialized roles. Some speculated that Nango might be a small team with limited resources, necessitating a wider skill set per individual. Others suggested the listing could deter qualified candidates who specialize in specific areas. A few commenters also questioned the use of both Python and Node.js, wondering about the rationale behind this choice. The overall sentiment leaned towards skepticism about the practicality of the required skillset for a single role.
Summary of Comments ( 16 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43763026
HN users generally expressed interest in Infra.new, praising its focus on safety and guardrails, especially for preventing accidental cloud cost overruns. Several commenters compared it favorably to existing infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform, highlighting its potential for simplifying deployments and reducing complexity. Some questioned the depth of its current feature set and integrations, while others sought clarification on the pricing model. A few users with cloud management experience offered specific suggestions for improvement, including better handling of state management and drift detection. Overall, the reception seemed positive, with many expressing a desire to try the product.
The Hacker News post for "Launch HN: Infra.new (YC W23) – DevOps copilot with guardrails built in" has a moderate number of comments, sparking a discussion around the tool's functionality, target audience, and potential impact.
Several commenters express interest in the concept of "guardrails" for infrastructure automation, highlighting the potential for reducing errors and improving security. One commenter specifically asks about the implementation of these guardrails and how they differ from existing policy-as-code solutions like Open Policy Agent (OPA). This leads to a brief discussion about the complexities of integrating such guardrails seamlessly into existing workflows and the importance of clear visibility and control.
Another thread of discussion revolves around the target audience for Infra.new. Some commenters question whether the tool is primarily aimed at simplifying infrastructure management for developers who lack deep DevOps expertise, while others see it as a potential productivity booster even for experienced DevOps engineers. This leads to speculation about the pricing model and whether it will be accessible to smaller teams or individual developers.
One commenter raises the concern of vendor lock-in, questioning the portability of configurations and the potential difficulties of migrating away from the platform in the future. This prompts a discussion about the importance of open standards and interoperability in the DevOps ecosystem.
A few commenters share their personal experiences with similar tools and offer suggestions for improvement, such as better integration with existing infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform and enhanced support for different cloud providers.
Finally, there's some skepticism expressed about the marketing language used in the launch announcement, with some commenters finding the term "DevOps copilot" to be overly hyped and potentially misleading. They argue that true "copilot" functionality would require a much deeper understanding of the user's intent and context.
Overall, the comments reflect a mixture of curiosity, cautious optimism, and healthy skepticism about the potential of Infra.new. While many see the value in simplifying infrastructure management and enhancing security, there are also concerns about practical implementation, pricing, and potential vendor lock-in.