Stop Debugging Locally: Why You Should Test Small-Scale in the Cloud

Stop Debugging Locally: Why You Should Test Small-Scale in the Cloud Introduction When developers debug locally, it feels safe. It’s controlled, familiar, and free of surprises—or so it seems. But what happens when you move that perfectly crafted code from your local machine to the AWS cloud? Often, the real surprises start there. A mismatch in permissions, event structure, or even runtime behavior can make your locally perfect code fail spectacularly in production. This gap between local debugging and cloud deployment is a pain point we’ve seen far too often. And for developers who’ve been burned by this before, you’re not alone. The good news is there’s a better way to build and test—directly in the cloud. The False Comfort of Local Debugging Local environments feel like a safe haven. You can debug using tools like AWS SAM CLI, simulate events with a JSON file, and tweak settings without worrying about cloud billing or permissions. But the problem with local debugging is that it’s on...