Why I Tried AWS SAM for My Portfolio Project

Introduction

When I started building a small portfolio web app, I wanted a serverless backend.

I didn’t want to manage servers, and I was studying for the AWS SAA certification, so I decided to give AWS SAM (Serverless Application Model) a try. Here’s a quick look at what it is and my impressions.

What is AWS SAM?

AWS SAM is a framework for building serverless applications on AWS.

With SAM, you can define your stack (Lambda, API Gateway, EventBridge, S3, etc.) in one YAML file and deploy everything with a single command.

Developer Guide：

What is the AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)?

Why I Picked It

For my portfolio project, I wanted:

• A fully serverless backend to avoid maintenance.
• Hands-on AWS experience while preparing for the SAA exam.

I also found SAM helpful because it handles API Gateway endpoints and EventBridge schedules in one place, which is much cleaner than configuring them directly in the console.

What I Learned

1. Super easy to start The official tutorial + sam init = quick setup.
2. Everything in code I can now manage the settings for both Lambda + EventBridge and Lambda + API Gateway in Git, unlike my previous console-based setups.
3. Local testing gives confidence I can test endpoints and triggers locally before deploying.
4. Python support is painless Just list dependencies in requirements.txt and deploy.

Who Should Try AWS SAM?

• If you’re building more than a few Lambdas.
• If you like clean, version-controlled infrastructure.
• If you want to test locally before pushing to AWS.

Final Thoughts

AWS SAM made my portfolio project easier and more organized.

If you’re learning AWS or want to explore serverless apps, I’d say: give SAM a shot!