In the ever-evolving world of software development and cloud computing, innovation often stems from the passion and dedication of individuals who are committed to shaping the future. One such visionary is Elad Ben-Israel, the CEO and Co-founder of Wing.
Wing is on a mission to build a new programming model for the cloud and is behind the open source project Winglang. Elad is no stranger to open source, having made significant contributions to the developer community throughout his career, such as creating the AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK), CDK for Kubernetes (CDK8s), JSII, and Projen.
Elad’s journey as a software engineer has provided the foundation for the creation of Wing. He believes that developers need to be freed from the gritty details of cloud infrastructure so they can focus on building their applications, and platform teams are looking for ways to apply security, cost, deployment and compliance concerns without standing in the way of developers. While many will certainly agree, trying to get a new programming language off the ground is no small task.
In this article, we speak to Elad about the mission behind Wing, how he thinks about the future of software development, and some of his leadership tips that make him one of the most innovative CEOs in tech.
Let’s talk Winglang
Winglang is an open source programming language designed for building distributed systems that leverage cloud infrastructure as first-class citizens. The Winglang compiler produces a ready-to-deploy package that includes both infrastructure-as-code definitions for Terraform, CloudFormation, or other cloud provisioning engines; as well as Node.js code designed to run on compute platforms such as AWS Lambda, Kubernetes, or edge platforms..
Community-Driven Innovation:
The success of Wing is intricately tied to its vibrant open-source community. Elad recognizes the power of community-driven development in shaping the future of technology. With over 1,000 Slack members and growing, the Wing community actively contributes to the platform’s evolution. Elad expresses excitement about the emergence of Wing libraries and frameworks, emphasizing the collaborative spirit that fuels innovation.
What else does Wing offer?
One of the things developers really like about Wing is the the Wing Simulator. It’s a visual cloud management solution that provides both developers and operators with a shared, real-time view of an application’s architecture and data flow. Developers will feel like they are developing on their local machine with the real-time responsiveness of the simulator, even while they’re building applications in the cloud.
The idea is to enable developers to test entire cloud applications locally or in continuous integration without deploying to the cloud. Elad explains the design philosophy of a “Cloud Abstraction Layer,” where applications leverage high-level APIs representing common cloud
primitives. This approach, coupled with compilation to specific target platforms, enhances the development, running, debugging, and testing of cloud applications
Future Vision for Wing:
At the end of the day, Wing is a team of developers building for other developers. But to make their lives easier, we also need to cater to platform teams, architects, DevOps, and various personas within organizations. By separating the application from the infrastructure and offering solutions for both, Wing can enable faster development lifecycles and an improved experience for engineers building in the cloud.
Leadership Lessons:
As a leader, Elad faced some challenges transitioning from software engineer to first-time CEO, and understands intimately the importance of a supportive team where there’s space to learn and grow. As an internal culture, Wing fosters a space where folks can share their opinions, make mistakes, and ultimately thrive and innovate.
Speaking about managing a remote team, Elad emphasizes the importance of maintaining a cadence of human contact, even if everyone doesn’t work from the same office. The company strategically organizes company offsites that bring the distributed team together multiple times a year. These gatherings serve not only as opportunities for brainstorming and hacking but also as occasions for team members to connect on a personal level, reinforcing the sense of camaraderie that transcends virtual boundaries.
Elad Ben-Israel’s journey, philosophy, and leadership at Wing exemplify the transformative potential of combining passion with innovation. Wing’s commitment to open source, community collaboration, and simplifying cloud complexities positions them as one of the most innovative startups in cloud computing. As the company continues to evolve, its impact on the software development landscape is poised to be both profound and far-reaching. Wing’s story is not just about building tools; it’s about empowering a global community to create, innovate, and shape the digital future.
