Ryan Kroonenburg -
The biggest headline in the career of Ryan Kroonenburg came in July 2021. Tech giant Pluralsight, a legacy leader in tech training, acquired A Cloud Guru for approximately $2 billion (the deal combined ACG with Pluralsight's existing cloud content, with the total valuation pegged at around $2B).
For many, this signaled the end of an era. Would Ryan Kroonenburg fade away? Would the "startup vibe" die?
For Ryan, the acquisition was validation. It proved that the "human-centric" teaching method had beaten the corporate, top-down method. Post-acquisition, Ryan stepped into a senior leadership role at Pluralsight, ensuring that the cultural DNA of ACG infected the larger parent company. He remains a key influencer in product direction, ensuring that the platform stays true to the "learn by doing" philosophy.
Why should you care about Ryan Kroonenburg in 2025?
If you are studying for your AWS Solutions Architect Associate or Professional certification, the chances are high that you are still listening to his voice. His legacy is not just a company or a sale for $2 billion. His legacy is a methodology.
He proved that education does not have to be painful. He proved that you don't need a Ph.D. to teach DevOps; you just need practical experience and empathy. Ryan Kroonenburg democratized cloud computing. He took a field reserved for Silicon Valley elites and opened it to a farmer in Kansas, a student in Mumbai, or a career-changer in London.
The final lesson from Ryan Kroonenburg:
"Technology changes every six months. But the ability to think critically, to debug logically, and to keep learning? That is a superpower for life."
Whether he is drawing a VPC diagram on a whiteboard or architecting the future of Pluralsight, Ryan Kroonenburg remains the gold standard for what a modern tech educator should be: authentic, brilliant, and relentlessly student-focused.
Are you looking to start your cloud journey? Search for "Ryan Kroonenburg AWS Course" to see the original content that started a revolution.
Ryan Kroonenburg is best known as the co-founder of A Cloud Guru, a leading cloud computing training platform that sold for over $2 billion in 2021. His "long story" is a classic tale of resilience, pivoting from a career collapse to creating a tech unicorn after a major rejection from Amazon. From Law to Global Collapse
Before tech, Ryan lived in London and ran a successful immigration law practice with his father. By 2008, the business had grown to 150 staff and four offices worldwide. However, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) hit his industry "overnight" because his clients couldn't sell their homes to afford to emigrate. The business collapsed, leaving him broke and deeply in debt—reportedly facing an $85,000 bill for IVF treatments on top of a mortgage. The Amazon Rejection and "The Idea"
Facing a dead end in law, Ryan decided to pivot to technology. He became obsessed with becoming Amazon Web Services (AWS) certified, viewing a job at Amazon as his "safest bet". After a grueling three-month interview process, he was rejected in the final round. ryan kroonenburg
While studying, Ryan realized that high-quality cloud training was either outdated or prohibitively expensive. He decided to create his own training content, starting with a "cheat sheet" and later filming courses in his bedroom.
Ryan Kroonenburg is a prominent figure in the cloud computing industry, best known as the co-founder and CEO of A Cloud Guru (ACG). Alongside his brother, Sam Kroonenburg, he established the company in 2015 with a clear mission to bridge the growing skills gap in cloud technologies. Their innovative approach to cloud learning, which emphasized bite-sized, engaging video content and hands-on labs, revolutionized the way individuals and organizations upskill in the digital age. Under his leadership, A Cloud Guru grew from a modest startup to a global leader in cloud education, ultimately being acquired by Pluralsight in 2021 for a reported $2 billion. Today, Ryan is widely recognized for his contributions to the tech education sector, having empowered millions of students and professionals to master the cloud and advance their careers.
Ryan Kroonenburg is a prominent figure in the cloud computing education sector, best known as the co-founder of A Cloud Guru (ACG), a leading online training platform. Along with his brother Sam Kroonenburg, he launched the company in 2015 to simplify complex cloud certifications for engineers worldwide. Background and Expertise
Kroonenburg has been involved in the cloud space since its early development. He is recognized as an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Community Hero, a title awarded by Amazon to individuals who have made significant contributions to the AWS community through sharing knowledge. His credentials include:
Certifications: He has historically held every AWS Associate level certification and is a certified AWS Solutions Architect Professional.
Serverless Advocate: He is a co-founder of Serverless Conf, a community-led conference series focused on serverless architectures.
"Get Your Hands Dirty": His teaching philosophy emphasizes practical, hands-on learning, often using the catchphrase, "You need to get your hands dirty," to encourage students to perform labs themselves. Career and A Cloud Guru
Before A Cloud Guru was acquired by Pluralsight in 2021, Kroonenburg grew the platform into a powerhouse for cloud education.
Course Reach: His AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate course is one of the most popular technical training programs globally, with hundreds of thousands of students enrolled across platforms like Udemy and A Cloud Guru.
Content Updates: Kroonenburg is known for frequently re-taking AWS exams to ensure his course material remains up-to-date with the latest service changes. Online Presence
You can find his ongoing work, blogs, and technical talks on various platforms:
AWS Solutions Architect Associate — Roadmap for preparation The biggest headline in the career of Ryan
Ryan Kroonenburg is a prominent tech entrepreneur and cloud computing educator, best known as the co-founder of A Cloud Guru (ACG), a leading online training platform for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other cloud technologies. Professional Background
A Cloud Guru: Founded in 2015 with his brother Sam Kroonenburg, the platform was created after Ryan was rejected for a job at AWS. He turned that disappointment into a mission to make cloud training "fun and accessible". The company was eventually acquired by Pluralsight in 2021.
Expertise: He is a highly certified Solutions Architect and an AWS Community Hero. His technical background includes roles at Rackspace and SunGard Availability Systems.
Teaching Style: Kroonenburg is famous for his "zero to hero" approach, designing courses for students with no prior cloud experience. He has taught over 100,000 students globally. Current Ventures (as of 2026)
Kroonenburg Capital: He currently serves as the founder of Kroonenburg Capital, established in 2023 to manage investments following the ACG acquisition.
Continuing Education: He remains a featured author on Pluralsight, providing updated training for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) exam.
Alexa Development: Beyond AWS, he is an Alexa Champion and created popular courses for absolute beginners to build skills for Amazon Echo. Meet the Gurus: Ryan Kroonenburg
Ryan Kroonenburg is a prominent entrepreneur and educator in the cloud computing space, best known as the founder of A Cloud Guru (ACG), a leading online learning platform for cloud skills.
An "essay" or overview of his impact typically focuses on how he revolutionized technical education by making complex cloud certifications—particularly for Amazon Web Services (AWS)—accessible and engaging for millions of students. Key Contributions to Cloud Education
Founder of A Cloud Guru: Kroonenburg started ACG in 2015 after identifying a lack of high-quality, affordable training for AWS certifications. The platform grew from a single course on Udemy into a comprehensive enterprise learning solution that was eventually acquired by Pluralsight for approximately $2 billion.
Democratizing Tech Skills: His teaching style is often noted for being "hands-on" and avoiding overly academic jargon, which helped non-technical professionals transition into cloud careers.
Community Building: He is credited with fostering a massive community of "Cloud Gurus" through initiatives like the AWS This Week series and various community forums, making continuous learning a social experience. "Technology changes every six months
AWS Community Hero: Due to his extensive work in spreading AWS knowledge, he was recognized by Amazon as an AWS Community Hero. Educational Resources
If you are looking for his specific teaching materials or courses, they are widely available on major learning platforms:
Udemy: Features several of his foundational courses, such as the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate.
A Cloud Guru / Pluralsight: The full suite of his updated labs and certification paths can be found on the A Cloud Guru website. What to Know About Udemy - U.S. News & World Report
The story of Ryan Kroonenburg is one of the most famous "revenge of the rejected" tales in the tech world. It begins not with a grand success, but with a crushing disappointment. The Rejection That Changed Everything
In 2014, Ryan was a Solutions Architect living in a small flat in London with his wife and two young children. His background was unconventional—he had previously been an immigration lawyer whose business collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis. Desperate for financial security and a higher salary, he became "obsessed" with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
After months of intensive self-study, Ryan made it to the final round of interviews for a job at AWS. He didn't get the job. From Bedroom Startup to "Netflix of Cloud"
Instead of letting the rejection defeat him, Ryan realized a glaring gap in the market: official cloud training was incredibly expensive and often boring. He decided to create his own AWS certification course, one that was affordable, engaging, and "for gurus, by gurus".
With the help of his brother, Sam Kroonenburg—a software engineer who built their first platform in just four weeks from a bedroom—they launched A Cloud Guru (ACG). Key milestones in their rapid ascent included:
Ryan Kroonenburg is a well-known figure in the tech and entrepreneurship space, particularly recognized for his work in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and his role as a founder. If you're looking to develop a feature related to him, I'll need a bit more context to provide a precise answer. However, I can offer some general ideas based on his public profile and interests:
While Ryan Kroonenburg was the technical visionary, his success is inseparable from his brother Sam. In the business world, the duo created a perfect synergy. Sam handled the business strategy and platform architecture, while Ryan remained the face of the content—the lead instructor who students trusted.
Their sibling dynamic translated perfectly to video. The banter, the inside jokes, and the mutual respect made complex topics like VPC peering or IAM policies digestible. This chemistry turned A Cloud Guru from a simple training library into a community. Students didn't just watch Ryan Kroonenburg; they felt like they knew him.
Ryan treats his courses like stories. An AWS Lambda lecture isn't a list of features; it's a story about a company that needs to resize images on the fly without buying a server. He creates a problem, builds tension, and then solves it with cloud technology.