How to Become a Serverless Developer: Complete Step by Step Guide
By Braincuber Team
Published on April 2, 2026
Serverless Development has been around since the release of AWS Lambda in 2014, but in the last few years things have exploded. Startups and smart tech companies have started taking advantage of the scalability, reliability, and power of serverless to rapidly grow and now they need more serverless developers than ever. Being a Serverless Developer means you build solutions with managed services from the likes of AWS, Google Cloud (GCP), or Azure. You build solutions by piecing together different services and running all of your business logic in AWS Lambda or GCP Cloud Functions instead of on a server. This complete tutorial provides a beginner guide with a step by step guide to learning how to become a serverless developer so you can build some kick-butt products.
What You'll Learn:
- Why solid JavaScript or Python skills are essential for serverless development
- How to choose between Serverless Framework and AWS CDK
- How to follow tutorials effectively when learning new services
- What to learn about each service (strengths, weaknesses, use cases)
- How to build your own serverless projects and progress your skills
- The recommended learning path: API, DynamoDB, S3, Cognito, AppSync
Focus on Code, Not Ops
With cloud platforms handling security, redundancy, scalability, and networking, you can focus entirely on building solutions.
Build with Managed Services
Piece together AWS, GCP, or Azure services with Lambda/Cloud Functions as your business logic glue.
Infrastructure as Code
Use frameworks like Serverless or CDK for version control, team collaboration, and multi-environment deployments.
High Demand Career Path
Serverless developers are in high demand as startups and tech companies scale with cloud-native architectures.
The 5 Steps to Becoming a Serverless Developer
| Step | Action | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Have solid JavaScript or Python skills | Comfortable writing Express or Flask servers makes everything easier |
| 2 | Pick your framework | Choose Serverless Framework or AWS CDK based on your language preference |
| 3 | Follow a tutorial | Start with building an API using API Gateway and Lambda |
| 4 | Learn more about the services | Understand benefits, limitations, and good/bad use cases |
| 5 | Build your own projects | Apply what you learned in tutorials to personal and production projects |
With your cloud platform dealing with almost all of the operations (security, redundancy, scalability, and networking), you are left to focus on building the best solutions you can. This means features can be built quicker and companies do not need to hire operations specialists.
Step 1: Solid JavaScript or Python Skills
Before trying to build serverless systems, you really need to have a good grasp on the fundamentals of one of the common programming languages. You do not need to be a wizard, but being comfortable using your chosen language is key.
The reason you need to be comfortable writing good code is that it has a massive effect on the software you build. Serverless is like building blocks and the Lambda code is like the glue. In that code, you write the logic for connecting each part.
Critical Insight: Code Quality Matters
You could have the perfect architecture but if your Lambda code is buggy, your solution will be, too. Serverless is like building blocks and the Lambda code is like the glue that connects each part.
I recommend either JavaScript (TypeScript) or Python. The reason I recommend these two languages is that most of the companies that will be using Serverless Architecture will be using one of these two languages. Being the most widely used, they also have more tutorials and a bigger community to help when you get stuck.
Another reason that I recommend these languages is that you can write the framework code with the same language you write the Lambda code with. You will be constantly jumping between Lambda code and framework config. Not having to switch between languages will save a LOT of your brain juice.
Step 2: Pick Your Framework
With a solid grasp of your language, you need a tool to help you create the serverless components in AWS. There are a LOT out there, but I would say you should pick either the Serverless Framework or AWS CDK.
Why Use a Framework?
When building a solution it is possible to do it all in the AWS Console. That is how many developers start their AWS journey. The issue is that it is not controllable, manageable, or scalable. If you want to copy this setup to another account (separate dev and prod accounts) you have to remember all the steps you have done. Working with multiple team members can get messy.
That is why it is helpful to use a framework to allow us to write Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC). This allows us to use Git for version control. This makes working as a team much easier, enables multi-environment deployments, even continuous integration and deployment. All things that are required when running production workloads.
The Serverless Framework
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Proven in large, production workloads | Not as easy when doing things that are not serverless |
| Easy to get started | If using Python, you will have to configure it with YAML |
| Large community and lots of tutorials | |
| Lots of plugins to make many jobs easier |
AWS CDK
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| From AWS and actively developed by them | Not the same plugins ecosystem as Serverless Framework |
| Good support for almost anything in AWS | |
| Cool ways to create reusable constructs | |
| Can define the config using Python |
Other Frameworks to Consider (or Avoid)
AWS SAM and AWS Amplify
These frameworks are designed to be very easy to do simple things. If you are reading this then you could probably use these to create an API and website quickly and easily. This is great if that is all you want to do. But if you want more control over how they are deployed or want to deploy more complex systems then you are going to struggle.
Terraform and Ansible
These frameworks have been around for a long time and are used in enterprise as their Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool. The reasons I would not learn these as my first framework are:
- You have to learn a new language. Terraform uses HCL (HashiCorp Language) and Ansible uses YAML. Learning a new language whilst trying to learn about Serverless architecture is not ideal. Also switching into that language when you need to create infrastructure is brain zapping.
- They are opinionated and strict. Getting a small thing not configured perfectly will just not work, often with a hard to understand error.
- They are not as flexible or powerful as CDK or Serverless Framework.
Webiny and Serverless Cloud
These are very new frameworks that are trying to make IaC as simple but as powerful as possible. The reason that I would avoid these for now is that they are just too new. This has two drawbacks:
- The community is not as big. This means fewer tutorials and fewer people to ask if you get stuck.
- Things change quickly. Best practices and common structure, but sometimes APIs, methods and parameters too. When learning a framework you do not want to have to deal with this stuff.
If there is a feature you absolutely need to use and you have someone who is very experienced with that specific framework, then it could work. I would still recommend one of the main two.
Step 3: Follow a Tutorial
With your framework chosen, you can now start building things with it. The first thing you should build is an API using just Lambda and API Gateway. This is very simple but will get you practice with the core fundamentals of the framework. Understanding the fundamentals will make learning more advanced things much easier.
Why Follow a Tutorial?
When learning a new service, it may be tempting to try and learn it by adding it straight into an existing project. I would recommend always trying to follow a tutorial the first time you work with any new service or tool.
When you follow a tutorial it should work without any issues. This means you can focus on learning about the service and how it fits in with everything else.
Adding it into your own project means if something does not work you have got to debug it on your own. You might not know whether you have used the service wrong or if there is a bug connecting it to your existing system.
Step 4: Learn More About the Services You Are Using
Now that you have used the new service, it is a good idea to learn a bit more about it. The key things I would want to know about a service I use are:
- What are its strengths, weaknesses, and limitations?
- What are some ideal use cases for using the service?
- What are some use cases where you should avoid using this service?
Knowing these three things, you will be much better able to decide whether a service will be a good fit for the solution you are currently building.
You can learn from a range of places: tutorials, articles, and even the AWS Docs.
For example, AWS Lambda is great for most APIs, but cannot run for more than 15 minutes. If I need to build an API that does some batch processing that takes 10-20 minutes then it would time out half of the time. Therefore I need to find another solution.
Again you do not need to understand every little detail about every service, just enough to know when it is a good idea to use and when not to.
Step 5: Build Your Own Projects
Now you know how to build with the new service (from the tutorials) and have a good understanding of when to use the service. From here it is time to use these services in your own projects.
I would recommend starting with a personal project that you use just for practicing using new services in. That way you do not have to worry about breaking things and you can focus on how the service is working.
You can now start using it in production apps and this is where you will learn a lot about the details of a service. You learn how to make it meet the business requirements and how it works with other services. If you can do this as part of your job, even better. Else have a deployed app that you treat with the same care.
Repeat Steps 3-5
Congratulations! You have learnt how to build an API using a framework. That is not the end, as there is always more to learn and a way to become a better serverless developer. Pick a new topic, service, or design pattern and repeat steps 3-5.
If you have just made your first serverless API, then here are the next topics and services I would learn to continue your journey:
DynamoDB - Simple Table Operations
Creating a simple table, getting and writing data. Learn the basics of NoSQL data storage in AWS.
S3 - File Storage
Creating an S3 bucket, reading and writing files. Learn object storage for static assets and documents.
DynamoDB - Advanced Queries
Working with secondary indexes and queries. Learn to efficiently query complex data patterns.
Cognito - API Authorization
Adding user authentication and authorization to your API. Learn identity management for serverless apps.
AppSync - GraphQL API
Building a GraphQL API with AppSync. Learn real-time data subscriptions and flexible querying.
After that, focus on creating features for your solutions and use that to guide what to learn next.
Need Help Building Serverless Solutions?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What programming language should I learn for serverless development?
JavaScript (TypeScript) or Python are the best choices. Most companies using serverless architecture use one of these two, they have the largest communities, and you can write both Lambda code and framework config in the same language.
Should I use Serverless Framework or AWS CDK?
Both are excellent choices. Serverless Framework has a larger plugin ecosystem and is easier to start with. AWS CDK is actively developed by AWS, supports almost any AWS service, and lets you define config in Python. Choose based on your language preference.
Why should I use a framework instead of the AWS Console?
Frameworks enable Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), allowing Git version control, team collaboration, multi-environment deployments, and CI/CD pipelines. These are all required when running production workloads.
What is the recommended learning path for serverless services?
Start with API Gateway + Lambda, then learn DynamoDB (simple operations), S3 (file storage), DynamoDB (secondary indexes), Cognito (authorization), and finally AppSync (GraphQL API). Follow tutorials, learn service details, then build your own projects.
What are the limitations of AWS Lambda I should know about?
AWS Lambda cannot run for more than 15 minutes. If you need to build an API that does batch processing taking 10-20 minutes, Lambda would time out half the time. Understanding service limitations helps you choose the right tool for each use case.