Level 1: Foundations

Purpose

Understand what serverless really means across AWS and Google Cloud. Learn core concepts before building. Master both AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions.

Who It's For

• Developers new to cloud computing
• DevOps engineers transitioning to serverless
• Teams evaluating AWS vs. GCP
• Prerequisites: Basic programming knowledge

What You Will Build

• Understanding of serverless architecture (multi-cloud)
• First functions on both AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions
• Local testing environments (SAM CLI + Functions Framework)
• Cost awareness across clouds
• Decision framework for AWS vs. GCP

Python-Only Tooling Checklist

• Python 3.12 + pip
• Virtual environment tool (venv)
• AWS CLI + SAM CLI
• Google Cloud SDK (gcloud)
• Functions Framework (pip install functions-framework)
• Optional: Docker for local emulation

Lesson Agenda

1. What Serverless Really Means — Myth vs. reality (AWS & GCP)
2. Event-Driven Thinking — Architecture patterns across clouds
3. Cloud Cost Models — AWS vs. GCP pricing comparison
4. AWS Lambda Basics — Core concepts and runtimes
5. Google Cloud Functions Basics — GCP equivalent learning
6. Building Your First Function — Hands-on AWS + GCP
7. Local Testing & Development — SAM CLI and Functions Framework

AWS ↔ GCP Service Map

Concept	AWS	Google Cloud
Serverless Functions	Lambda	Cloud Functions
Supported Runtimes	Python, Java, Go, Ruby, .NET	Python, Go, Java, .NET
Min Duration	100ms	100ms
Max Duration	15 minutes	60 minutes (2nd gen)
Memory Range	128 MB – 10 GB	256 MB – 32 GB
Cold Start	100–500ms	50–200ms (faster)
Local Testing	AWS SAM CLI	Functions Framework
Integrated IDE	AWS Toolkit (VS Code)	Cloud Code (VS Code)
Pricing Model	Per 100ms execution	Per 100ms execution (typically 15% cheaper)
Free Tier	1M invocations/month	2M invocations/month

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Duration: 1–2 weeks (depending on your pace)

Time per lesson: 20–30 minutes

Next level: Ready for Level 2: Build after completing these lessons.