The Power of Decoupling Migration & Modernization

In this episode of the AWS Migration & Modernization Podcast, AWS Executives‑in‑Residence Matthias Patzak and Jake Burns break down why the fastest, safest path to the cloud is to decouple migration from modernization. They explore why long planning cycles stall progress, how over‑engineering early phases creates unnecessary risk, and why organizations should “become ready by starting” rather than wait for perfect alignment. Jake shares lessons from leading a 17‑month all‑in migration, including how rapid wins build momentum, how minimal‑viable refactoring keeps teams moving, and why slow migrations often fail due to fear, doubt, and organizational drag. Matthias adds his perspective on avoiding multi‑year planning traps, getting teams hands‑on early, and balancing migration speed with targeted up-skilling. Together, they outline a practical, momentum‑driven approach: migrate quickly, build confidence, and then modernize continuously once workloads land safely in the cloud.