Peter Smith
@petersmith.net
Technical Product Manager at LocalStack, former Principal Engineer @ AWS Serverless
I sometimes miss reading CoEs, especially on days like today. If you know, you know. 
October 21, 2025 at 5:48 AM
I sometimes miss reading CoEs, especially on days like today. If you know, you know. 
It's odd to realize that exactly 50 years ago, my mother took me to my first day at school. Happy belated birthday, younger me! Now go and buy shares in a newly-formed startup named Microsoft!
October 15, 2025 at 9:02 PM
It's odd to realize that exactly 50 years ago, my mother took me to my first day at school. Happy belated birthday, younger me! Now go and buy shares in a newly-formed startup named Microsoft!
I can confirm it's true - AI is making me lazy and not wanting to think too hard about writing code. I had a moment of panic today when GitHub Copilot stopped auto-completing my code, and I was forced to remember the syntax I needed. Turns out my "free credits" expired.
github.com/features/cop...
github.com/features/cop...
GitHub Copilot · Your AI pair programmer
GitHub Copilot works alongside you directly in your editor, suggesting whole lines or entire functions for you.
github.com
September 21, 2025 at 3:00 PM
I can confirm it's true - AI is making me lazy and not wanting to think too hard about writing code. I had a moment of panic today when GitHub Copilot stopped auto-completing my code, and I was forced to remember the syntax I needed. Turns out my "free credits" expired.
github.com/features/cop...
github.com/features/cop...
And given how excited I am about the AWS Toolkit now supporting LocalStack, I wrote a blog post showing how it's done! Enjoy!
blog.localstack.cloud/aws-toolkit-...
blog.localstack.cloud/aws-toolkit-...
Developing with LocalStack using the AWS Toolkit for VS Code
The new AWS Toolkit for VS Code integration streamlines your serverless development by connecting directly to LocalStack’s AWS emulator. Seamlessly browse resources, deploy SAM projects, and live…
blog.localstack.cloud
September 11, 2025 at 7:11 PM
And given how excited I am about the AWS Toolkit now supporting LocalStack, I wrote a blog post showing how it's done! Enjoy!
blog.localstack.cloud/aws-toolkit-...
blog.localstack.cloud/aws-toolkit-...
Reposted by Peter Smith
We're so excited to finally get to share some BIG updates!
First, AWS Toolkit for VS Code can now connect to LocalStack making it easy to build, debug & test Lambdas directly from your local machine without leaving the comfort of your IDE! Read our tutorial: blog.localstack.cloud/aws-toolkit-...
First, AWS Toolkit for VS Code can now connect to LocalStack making it easy to build, debug & test Lambdas directly from your local machine without leaving the comfort of your IDE! Read our tutorial: blog.localstack.cloud/aws-toolkit-...
Developing with LocalStack using the AWS Toolkit for VS Code
The new AWS Toolkit for VS Code integration streamlines your serverless development by connecting directly to LocalStack’s AWS emulator. Seamlessly browse resources, deploy SAM projects, and live…
blog.localstack.cloud
September 11, 2025 at 6:44 PM
We're so excited to finally get to share some BIG updates!
First, AWS Toolkit for VS Code can now connect to LocalStack making it easy to build, debug & test Lambdas directly from your local machine without leaving the comfort of your IDE! Read our tutorial: blog.localstack.cloud/aws-toolkit-...
First, AWS Toolkit for VS Code can now connect to LocalStack making it easy to build, debug & test Lambdas directly from your local machine without leaving the comfort of your IDE! Read our tutorial: blog.localstack.cloud/aws-toolkit-...
Serverless developers, I'm excited to see this collaboration between LocalStack and the AWS Lambda team. You can now use AWS Toolkit for VSCode with LocalStack, complete with Lambda Debugging, making even easier to develop, debug, and test your applications locally!
aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/ac...
aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/ac...
Accelerate serverless testing with LocalStack integration in VS Code IDE | Amazon Web Services
AWS is announcing integrated LocalStack support in the AWS Toolkit for Visual Studio Code that makes it easier than ever for developers to test and debug serverless applications locally. This…
aws.amazon.com
September 11, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Serverless developers, I'm excited to see this collaboration between LocalStack and the AWS Lambda team. You can now use AWS Toolkit for VSCode with LocalStack, complete with Lambda Debugging, making even easier to develop, debug, and test your applications locally!
aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/ac...
aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/ac...
Without even realizing it, I’ve been using GitHub Copilot in VS Code, and I love it! ❤️
After several years of being frustrated at coding assistants, I’m finally enjoying the experience and getting a productivity boost! I might even pay $10/month for it!
After several years of being frustrated at coding assistants, I’m finally enjoying the experience and getting a productivity boost! I might even pay $10/month for it!
Announcing a free GitHub Copilot for VS Code
Announcing a free plan for GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code.
code.visualstudio.com
August 19, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Without even realizing it, I’ve been using GitHub Copilot in VS Code, and I love it! ❤️
After several years of being frustrated at coding assistants, I’m finally enjoying the experience and getting a productivity boost! I might even pay $10/month for it!
After several years of being frustrated at coding assistants, I’m finally enjoying the experience and getting a productivity boost! I might even pay $10/month for it!
Reposted by Peter Smith
CloudFront Functions and Lambda@Edge are incredibly useful. The only downside is the difficulty in developing and testing them, as deployments take considerable time, and AWS provides no local testing capabilities.
This has changed with LocalStack.
This has changed with LocalStack.
August 13, 2025 at 7:00 PM
CloudFront Functions and Lambda@Edge are incredibly useful. The only downside is the difficulty in developing and testing them, as deployments take considerable time, and AWS provides no local testing capabilities.
This has changed with LocalStack.
This has changed with LocalStack.
Hey Step Functions developers - if you need to test your State Machines, and you're sad that Step Functions Local is no longer supported, read my exciting new blog post, then switch to LocalStack instead.
AWS deprecated Step Functions Local, so LocalStack built a drop-in replacement. 💪🏿
If you’ve used Step Functions Local for testing workflows, mocking services, and avoiding side effects… you probably noticed it’s no longer supported by AWS!
blog.localstack.cloud/aws-step-fun...
If you’ve used Step Functions Local for testing workflows, mocking services, and avoiding side effects… you probably noticed it’s no longer supported by AWS!
blog.localstack.cloud/aws-step-fun...
LocalStack as a Drop-in Replacement for Step Functions Local
Learn how to use LocalStack as a drop-in replacement for AWS Step Functions Local to test your state machine workflows locally with mocking capabilities, allowing you to avoid undesirable side…
blog.localstack.cloud
August 6, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Hey Step Functions developers - if you need to test your State Machines, and you're sad that Step Functions Local is no longer supported, read my exciting new blog post, then switch to LocalStack instead.
First world problems... you try to create an Amazon S3 bucket with a unique name that nobody else in the world would use... but then you realize it's already in use, by yourself at a previous company.
August 5, 2025 at 2:45 PM
First world problems... you try to create an Amazon S3 bucket with a unique name that nobody else in the world would use... but then you realize it's already in use, by yourself at a previous company.
Reposted by Peter Smith
When they realize you're faking the whole cloud with LocalStack 😏
August 1, 2025 at 1:04 PM
When they realize you're faking the whole cloud with LocalStack 😏
Is it just me, or do other people accidentally open the App Store when they really want VSCode? Perhaps it's just me 😑
July 26, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Is it just me, or do other people accidentally open the App Store when they really want VSCode? Perhaps it's just me 😑
With the increase in AI-generated videos, at what point should I stop believing what public figures are saying? Or should I ignore everything on social media and only watch news from the BBC? At this point in time, Doctor Who is feeling quite credible!
July 19, 2025 at 8:14 AM
With the increase in AI-generated videos, at what point should I stop believing what public figures are saying? Or should I ignore everything on social media and only watch news from the BBC? At this point in time, Doctor Who is feeling quite credible!
Does anybody else feel less miserable when they look at my odometer reading? (terrible joke of the day).
June 25, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Does anybody else feel less miserable when they look at my odometer reading? (terrible joke of the day).
I just drove by the theatre where I watched Star Wars as a boy in 1977. For months after that I dreamed of having my own R2D2 Droid. Now I realize the 50th anniversary is just two years away, but I own an iPhone not an Android.
June 9, 2025 at 2:06 PM
I just drove by the theatre where I watched Star Wars as a boy in 1977. For months after that I dreamed of having my own R2D2 Droid. Now I realize the 50th anniversary is just two years away, but I own an iPhone not an Android.
After relocating to New Zealand, there are two important things I miss from Canada. 1) Central heating, 2) Tim Hortons Sausage BELT with Steeped Tea.
But what's really sad is that after eating 100s of Sausage BELTs, I don't have a single photo of those delicious sandwiches! Just one of this cup 😑
But what's really sad is that after eating 100s of Sausage BELTs, I don't have a single photo of those delicious sandwiches! Just one of this cup 😑
June 2, 2025 at 12:24 AM
After relocating to New Zealand, there are two important things I miss from Canada. 1) Central heating, 2) Tim Hortons Sausage BELT with Steeped Tea.
But what's really sad is that after eating 100s of Sausage BELTs, I don't have a single photo of those delicious sandwiches! Just one of this cup 😑
But what's really sad is that after eating 100s of Sausage BELTs, I don't have a single photo of those delicious sandwiches! Just one of this cup 😑
And this is yet more proof that Step Functions has one of the best AWS consoles!
🔥 AWS Step Functions leveled up with new release!
New execution graph updates:
• Collapse/Expand Map & Parallel states
• New state icons and visual improvements
Making operating a complex workflows simple! 🚀
#AWS #Serverless #StepFunction #CloudComputing
New execution graph updates:
• Collapse/Expand Map & Parallel states
• New state icons and visual improvements
Making operating a complex workflows simple! 🚀
#AWS #Serverless #StepFunction #CloudComputing
May 30, 2025 at 7:40 PM
And this is yet more proof that Step Functions has one of the best AWS consoles!
Reposted by Peter Smith
🔥 AWS Step Functions leveled up with new release!
New execution graph updates:
• Collapse/Expand Map & Parallel states
• New state icons and visual improvements
Making operating a complex workflows simple! 🚀
#AWS #Serverless #StepFunction #CloudComputing
New execution graph updates:
• Collapse/Expand Map & Parallel states
• New state icons and visual improvements
Making operating a complex workflows simple! 🚀
#AWS #Serverless #StepFunction #CloudComputing
May 30, 2025 at 4:38 PM
🔥 AWS Step Functions leveled up with new release!
New execution graph updates:
• Collapse/Expand Map & Parallel states
• New state icons and visual improvements
Making operating a complex workflows simple! 🚀
#AWS #Serverless #StepFunction #CloudComputing
New execution graph updates:
• Collapse/Expand Map & Parallel states
• New state icons and visual improvements
Making operating a complex workflows simple! 🚀
#AWS #Serverless #StepFunction #CloudComputing
Product idea? The “change of address” feature is not a solved problem. After my recent international move, I had 30 places to give my new address to. About 20 were simple online profile updates, but 10 required support calls/tickets. And 4 of those required multiple tickets to the “backend” team!
May 25, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Product idea? The “change of address” feature is not a solved problem. After my recent international move, I had 30 places to give my new address to. About 20 were simple online profile updates, but 10 required support calls/tickets. And 4 of those required multiple tickets to the “backend” team!
Reposted by Peter Smith
Tired of waiting on IAM tickets or racking up surprise AWS bills?
@jetbrains.com shows how to build & test a full Spring Boot app with S3 + SQS locally using LocalStack + Testcontainers.
Same AWS APIs. No cloud required.
🔗 blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2025/05...
@jetbrains.com shows how to build & test a full Spring Boot app with S3 + SQS locally using LocalStack + Testcontainers.
Same AWS APIs. No cloud required.
🔗 blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2025/05...
Building Cloud-Ready Apps Locally: Spring Boot, AWS, and LocalStack in Action
blog.jetbrains.com
May 14, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Tired of waiting on IAM tickets or racking up surprise AWS bills?
@jetbrains.com shows how to build & test a full Spring Boot app with S3 + SQS locally using LocalStack + Testcontainers.
Same AWS APIs. No cloud required.
🔗 blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2025/05...
@jetbrains.com shows how to build & test a full Spring Boot app with S3 + SQS locally using LocalStack + Testcontainers.
Same AWS APIs. No cloud required.
🔗 blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2025/05...
This LocalStack launch is particularly special to me, as we now support the "mocking" feature from Step Functions Local. Now you can use JSONata and Variables (and other recent Step Functions features) with improved testing support!
LocalStack 4.4 is out!
This jam-packed release brings:
🔐 New Verified Permissions provider
👣 Mocked Service Integrations for Step Functions
🗄️ LocalStack-native RDS provider
▶️ Container-based Glue job executor
❇️ Enhancements in IAM, KMS, etc
🔗 Read here: blog.localstack.cloud/localstack-r...
This jam-packed release brings:
🔐 New Verified Permissions provider
👣 Mocked Service Integrations for Step Functions
🗄️ LocalStack-native RDS provider
▶️ Container-based Glue job executor
❇️ Enhancements in IAM, KMS, etc
🔗 Read here: blog.localstack.cloud/localstack-r...
Announcing the LocalStack 4.4 Release
LocalStack 4.4 is now available! This release brings a new Amazon Verified Permissions provider, a LocalStack-native RDS provider, a container-based Glue job executor, and many other enhancements…
blog.localstack.cloud
May 9, 2025 at 12:48 AM
This LocalStack launch is particularly special to me, as we now support the "mocking" feature from Step Functions Local. Now you can use JSONata and Variables (and other recent Step Functions features) with improved testing support!
If you deploy software to an ECS container, but suffer from slow deploy times whenever you make a code change, here's a solution from LocalStack. Code is directly mounted from your local filesystem into the ECS container, so code updates are instant!
Developing & Debugging AWS ECS Tasks Locally with LocalStack & VS Code
Learn how to develop and debug AWS ECS tasks locally using LocalStack with Docker bind mounts for code mounting, VS Code for step-through debugging, and hot-reloading to instantly apply changes…
blog.localstack.cloud
May 6, 2025 at 1:54 PM
If you deploy software to an ECS container, but suffer from slow deploy times whenever you make a code change, here's a solution from LocalStack. Code is directly mounted from your local filesystem into the ECS container, so code updates are instant!
Another funny UX example, this time from Rakuten Viber. The $4.99 worth of credits can be purchased for the low price of $7.99. As far as I can tell, the first $ is USD and the other $ is NZD. 🤦
April 28, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Another funny UX example, this time from Rakuten Viber. The $4.99 worth of credits can be purchased for the low price of $7.99. As far as I can tell, the first $ is USD and the other $ is NZD. 🤦
In typical "Black Mirror" fashion, here's an episode showing how NOT to focus on customer value when building a SaaS subscription offering.
www.imdb.com/title/tt3012...
www.imdb.com/title/tt3012...
"Black Mirror" Common People (TV Episode 2025) ⭐ 8.1 | Crime, Drama, Mystery
56m | TV-MA
www.imdb.com
April 19, 2025 at 2:19 PM
In typical "Black Mirror" fashion, here's an episode showing how NOT to focus on customer value when building a SaaS subscription offering.
www.imdb.com/title/tt3012...
www.imdb.com/title/tt3012...
Super-useful hint I learned from The CDK Book. When using CDK with TypeScript, always run with "npx cdk synth" to use the version of CDK from your project, rather than defaulting to your global CDK.
thecdkbook.com
thecdkbook.com
The CDK Book
The CDK Book - A Comprehensive Guide to the AWS Cloud Development Kit
thecdkbook.com
April 15, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Super-useful hint I learned from The CDK Book. When using CDK with TypeScript, always run with "npx cdk synth" to use the version of CDK from your project, rather than defaulting to your global CDK.
thecdkbook.com
thecdkbook.com