Qwiklabs – Going Further
Google Cloud’s Qwiklabs or Google Cloud Skills Boost offers an online learning environment featuring practical training labs for those seeking to deepen their understanding of Google Cloud. Each lab hones in on a particular topic, and with step-by-step instructions, guides you in interacting with Google Cloud resources directly via your web browser. Labs span from beginner to advanced levels, and topics cover machine learning, security, infrastructure, and application development. Qwiklabs is a great platform for acquiring new skills and reinforcing ones previously learned through other methods, such as Google Cloud’s certification programs.
While Qwiklabs usually requires paid access and operates on credits, they often run promotions offering free credits or access to select courses.
Tip
As of this writing, Google offers an annual subscription named Google Innovators Plus. For $299, you receive a year’s unlimited access to Google Skills Boost, cloud expert consultations, and $500 of Google Cloud credit. The package also includes a voucher for a Google Cloud Professional Certification exam (valued at $200), and if you pass, you’re granted an additional $500 of Google Cloud credit. The cloud credit from this subscription proved invaluable for funding my Google Cloud projects while writing this book: it was unquestionably a sound investment for me.
A monthly subscription option is also available for $29/month. However, this package doesn’t include the cloud credit and exam voucher benefits.
Non-Google Communities
Other non-Google platforms offer valuable content and engaging discussions:
Google Cloud Collective on Stack Overflow
A community on Stack Overflow where developers can post queries, share knowledge, and help resolve Google Cloud–related issues. It’s a reputable place for technical discussions and detailed problem-solving.
This subreddit is a vibrant community of Google Cloud users. Members can share their experiences, ask questions, discuss the latest trends, or even vent their frustrations about Google Cloud. It offers a mix of technical, business, and general content about Google Cloud.
Google Cloud community on Medium
This Medium publication provides a variety of articles about Google Cloud written by the community. Topics range from tutorials and use cases to insights and trends. It’s a great place to consume long-form content related to Google Cloud.