An IT self-service "vending machine" in an enterprise setting allows employees to efficiently request and access pre-approved cloud resources, with Pulumi programs orchestrating these resources behind the scenes. The example discussed involves using Pulumi to create an AWS child account within an AWS Organization, which can be initiated via a Pull Request in a git repository. This setup is beneficial for both large enterprises and smaller teams, promoting the organization of AWS accounts using the least-privileged access principle. The organizational structure described includes an Organizational Unit (OU) with member accounts, where user accounts for developers are provisioned in the root account, allowing them to assume specific roles in target accounts. The process involves creating IAM roles and backup policies to ensure compliance and resource backup, with Pulumi providing a flexible programming model to manage these infrastructures. The approach encourages structuring AWS accounts to enforce least-privileged access, offering a self-service mechanism that is especially advantageous for organizations seeking SOC2 certification or those requiring strict resource isolation.