Orchestrating complex (not complicated) tasks using AWS serverless and Python

on YouTube ↗29m

" summary

Claims Step Functions are the most powerful cheapest and complete solution for orchestrating serverless work using AWS Step Functions with AWS Lambda and Python. Patterns include using CloudFormation and SSM params, preflight checks, small JSON payloads, S3 for large blobs, parallel branches and retries with exponential backoff. A concrete system builds customer environments then waits tracks deploy time and tears them down successfully. Step Functions scale to about a million concurrent executions and Lambdas time out at 15 minutes.

AI-written summary · about

" chapters (11)

1. 0:00Introduction
2. 1:05Overview
3. 4:40Step Functions
4. 6:47State Machines
5. 9:06Why use Lambda
6. 11:55Ways to simplify
7. 15:00Preflight checks
8. 16:20Managing data flow
9. 19:30Managing parallelism
10. 22:50Breaking code out to libraries
11. 24:00Troubleshooting

" related talks

• 20mModern Application Architecture with AWS Step FunctionsOskar Neumann · Conf42 Cloud Native 2023
• 25mBuilding advanced workflows with AWS Step FunctionsNavya Srivastava, Nader Eskandari · AWS Summit Sydney 2025
• 39mBuilding Low-Code Applications with Serverless WorkflowsBen Smith · GOTO Amsterdam 2023
• 34mPython in Serverless ArchitecturesDaniel Lindeman · PyOhio 2018
• 23mOrchestration Lightning: Rapid-Fire AWS Step Functions PatternsEric Johnson · GOTO Serverless Bengaluru 2025
• 28mThe Art of the State: Coordinating Services Using AWS Step FunctionsGabe Hollombe · AWS Summit Online 2020
• 54mServerless Python on AWS Lambda using the Serverless FrameworkTed Mathew dela Cruz · PyCon APAC 2019
• 31mA quick intro to AWS ServerlessCurtis Maloney · PyCon AU 2016