the bill you're not seeing

Hey {{first name | there}}. I want to tell you about an idea that I have been taking a bet on. But first, how much is your hour worth? 

Worth burning it on things that don't move the needle.

In today's career notes:

🧠TOGETHER WITH EVERYTHINGDEVOPS

📺WATCH: Cloud Explained in 5 Minutes

You use the cloud every day, whether you're streaming Netflix, scrolling Instagram, or checking your banking app. But could you explain what the cloud actually is?

In this video, Divine Odazie breaks it down in five minutes, starting with the problem cloud computing solves, the four building blocks behind it, and the difference between IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.

If you're learning cloud or DevOps, this is a good place to start. By the end, you'll have a clearer understanding of what the cloud is, how it works, and what you're actually paying for.

Subscribe: @EverythingDevOpsHQ for deeper dives on agents, Kubernetes, MLOps, and AI infrastructure.

You pay the cost either way.

The only choice you get is which currency.

I see this every week. An engineer asks me: should I get a KodeKloud* subscription, or just learn Kubernetes off YouTube for free? (No, they don't sponsor this newsletter. I just use it.)

Wrong question.

The real question is what you're actually buying.

YouTube is "free," but you're paying with hours. Hunting for the right video. 

Rebuilding a curriculum in your head because nobody structured one for you. That's not free. That's just a bill you're not looking at.

KodeKloud costs money, a valuable mentorship program costs money. 

But it buys back the hours. Hours you can’t recreate.

Structured path, labs that work, no digging. You're not paying for content. You're paying to skip the tax on your own time.

Neither choice is wrong. Calling one of them "free" is a lie.

I say “I am Nigerian” because I understand what it means not to afford something.

I started my career with free resources and cracks. 

The purpose of writing this is to tell you that if you are at the point where you can afford to pay for the best, do it. 

Do it. Your future self will thank you. 

In 2023, I volunteered at the Southern California Linux Expo

I spent almost $3000 to get to California from Nigeria.

It was a last-minute opportunity, so flights were expensive, and hotels were worse!

Thanks to the support from my brother, Henry Odazie. I was able to get there the morning of the 1st day.

I remember walking in the rain in Pasadena just to clear my head, thinking:

“I hope all this is worth it”

I remember eating only KFC for 3 days straight because I couldn’t find any food I could eat.

I am very, very picky with food and can’t survive without Nigerian food 😭😂

Long story short… It was all worth it.

In 2025, I returned to SCaLE as a Speaker!! All expenses paid by my then employer.

Why am I telling you this?

Time and time again, I have had to take risks, not knowing what the future holds.

Even now I am taking a risk, not knowing what the future holds.

But in hindsight, everything has aligned.

My unsolicited advice to you is to bet/invest in yourself.

Against all odds….

So long as you are still alive, you are your most valuable asset.

👉🏾 Stop overthinking the $200 course. If it won't put you in debt, buy it. Thank me later.

If you noticed, I had no links in today’s email. Well, that was intentional. 

I urge you to think long and hard about this idea. If not to take action today, then for tomorrow.

Stay sharp. Stay visible.

Divine Odazie
CEO, EverythingDevOps