Terraform looks simple on the surface.
Write some code.
Run a command.
Infrastructure appears.
But that mental model is where most beginners get into trouble.
Terraform does not act immediately. It thinks first.
Before anything changes in your cloud, Terraform enters a planning phase where it compares what you declared against what actually exists. Only after that calculation, and only with your approval, does it move into execution.
If you skip this distinction, Terraform feels unpredictable.
If you understand it, Terraform becomes calm, deliberate, and safe.
In this video, I explain Terraform’s two-phase system.
Plan, then apply.
No command memorization.
No provider-specific noise.
Just the core mental model that makes everything else make sense.