This article makes a good case for having at least one early team member who knows how to build out physical infrastructure at scale, even if you initially decide on AWS / GCE / Azure:
This might sound a bit extreme, but contrary to most FRR pieces this is garbage advice. Startups should focus first on getting their product-market fit before trying to future-proof themselves from a future that doesn't yet exist.
http://firstround.com/review/the-three-infrastructure-mistak...