FinOps in Action

PointFive
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Welcome to FinOps in Action! Join host, Taylor Houck, Each week, as he sits down with FinOps experts to explore the toughest challenges between FinOps and Engineering. This show is brought to you by PointFive - empowering teams to optimize cloud costs with deep detection and remediation tools that drive action.

  1. Why Cloud Costs Are an Architecture Problem ft. Shailaja Beeram | Ep #68

    17M AGO

    Why Cloud Costs Are an Architecture Problem ft. Shailaja Beeram | Ep #68

    Are “idle resources” really the problem, or just the easiest one to fix? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with cloud architect and engineer Shailaja Beeram to explore a fundamentally different perspective: cost inefficiencies don’t start in the billing file, but in architectural decisions made long before deployment. Drawing on over 15 years of experience across AWS, Azure, and GCP, Shailaja explains how the way systems are designed, scaled, and evolved over time has a far greater impact on cloud spend than most teams realize. From “zombie” networking resources to overlooked outbound traffic patterns, this conversation unpacks the hidden layers of cloud cost and why FinOps and architecture must converge to solve them.   Here’s what we talked about: Why cloud inefficiencies often stem from architecture and not just unused resourcesHow NAT Gateways and private endpoints quietly drive unnecessary spendWhat “zombie resources” are and how they accumulate over timeWhy background traffic can mask true resource idlenessThe importance of revisiting architectural decisions as systems evolveThe growing convergence of FinOps and cloud architectureChapters: 00:00 - Architecture Drives Cost 00:34 - Meet the Guest Architect 01:46 - When Cost Became the Job 03:04 - Networking Zombie Resources 05:32 - NAT Gateway Design Traps 07:11 - Spotting Hidden Traffic 10:34 - Azure Functions NAT Story 12:30 - Private Endpoints and Drift 16:53 - Shift Left Cost Awareness 19:20 - Balancing Risk and Cost 22:46 - Advice for Both Sides 26:41 - AI Impact on FinOps 27:53 - Volunteering and Closing 30:37 - Outro and Sponsor  🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: “FinOps… it doesn’t need to be separated. It should be a part of how you think about the architecture.” - Shailaja BeeramLinks: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shailaja-beeram-82324310a/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ Transistor: finopsinaction.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

    31 min
  2. Using Unit Economics to Optimize Cloud Spend & Improve Margins ft. Kevin Mueller, Presidio | Ep #67

    APR 30

    Using Unit Economics to Optimize Cloud Spend & Improve Margins ft. Kevin Mueller, Presidio | Ep #67

    Are you actually measuring the value of your cloud spend or just tracking the cost? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Kevin Mueller, Principal Architect of Cloud FinOps at Presidio, to unpack one of the most talked-about and most misunderstood concepts in FinOps: unit economics. With over 20 years of experience spanning software engineering, AWS SaaS architecture, and cloud financial management, Kevin shares a grounded, practical perspective on why most organizations struggle to implement unit economics and how to actually get started. The conversation explores the gap between visibility and action, why traditional cost allocation models fall short, and how engineering, product, finance, and sales all benefit when cloud spend is tied directly to business value. Kevin also dives into real-world examples, from optimizing SQL queries and Kubernetes workloads to navigating the growing complexity of AI-driven infrastructure. If you’ve ever wondered how to move beyond dashboards and into meaningful optimization, or how to prove that your cloud investment is truly productive, this episode is for you. Here’s what we talked about: Why most companies still aren’t doing unit economics (and what separates those who do it well)The difference between unit metrics and unit economicsHow to move from high-level allocation to actionable, engineering-driven insightsHow to approach tagging without overcomplicating your systemWhy AI is the next major FinOps challenge (and opportunity)The biggest challenges with shared resources like Kubernetes and what actually drives optimization Chapters: 00:00 - Cloud Cost Tradeoffs 01:31 - Kevin’s FinOps Journey 03:13 - Unit Economics Reality Check 04:18 - Defining Unit Economics 05:46 - How to Implement It 09:26 - Metrics That Drive Action 14:10 - Allocation Products vs Teams 20:26 - Tagging Without Pain 23:02 - Kubernetes Cost Challenges 24:51 - K8s Optimization Basics 26:18 - Architecture Choices with Units 28:04 - AI as Shared Spend 30:13 - Measuring AI Value 32:28 - AI for FinOps Teams 35:41 - Life on the Farm 37:54 - Wrap Up and Where to Connect  🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: “It's so easy in FinOps to measure all of this stuff, put it in a dashboard and look at it and feel happy that it's there, but you need to drive towards action.” - Kevin MuellerLinks: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmueller/ Website: https://www.presidio.com/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ Transistor: finopsinaction.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

    39 min
  3. Dashboards Don't Save Money, Action Does ft. Cristian Magherusan-Stanciu, Leaner Cloud | Ep # 66

    APR 23

    Dashboards Don't Save Money, Action Does ft. Cristian Magherusan-Stanciu, Leaner Cloud | Ep # 66

    Why do cloud costs stay high even after you build all the right dashboards? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Cristian Magherusan-Stanciu, Founder and Cloud Optimization Specialist at Leaner Cloud. With over 20 years in systems engineering and a background at Nokia, HERE Technologies, and AWS, Cristian built AutoSpotting, an open source tool that has helped more than 10,000 customers save money on EC2. Cristian shared his hard-won framework for turning cloud cost insights into real savings, why automation alone will never be enough, and how AI has multiplied his output as a solo operator by an order of magnitude. We also covered the hidden business context that can turn a routine optimization into a $30K/month win, and why cost avoidance is just as important as cost reduction when your cloud bill keeps growing.   Here’s what we talked about: Dashboards are only half the story and prioritize action over visibility. The biggest gains come to teams that actually implement recommendations, not just track them.Right size incrementally, not aggressively. Cutting a resource by 8x in one step is risky instead halve it, observe, and iterate to avoid introducing performance problems.Match your optimization approach to the application’s needs. Latency sensitive workloads, HA setups, and DR resources may appear wasteful but serve critical purposes and always bring engineering context into the conversation.Look beyond the metric to find the real opportunity. A $30K/month Aurora IO bill pointed to a forgotten database no one needed anymore and the fix wasn’t optimization, it was deletion.Track cost avoidance, not just savings. In high-growth environments, a flat or rising bill can still represent millions saved and measure what you would have paid without the work.AI has changed the game for solo practitioners. Cristian built in weeks what previously took a year or two, enabling him to ship a SaaS product and 30+ optimization tools as a one-person shop. Chapters: 00:00 - Dashboards Don't Save Money 00:19 - Show And Guest Intro 01:47 - Take Action First 04:00 - From Level Zero To Savings 06:08 - Prioritize Engineer Time 07:35 - Automation Without Breaking Things 10:07 - Working With DevOps And Devs 12:05 - When Engineers Push Back 14:17 - Cost Vs Risk And Context 16:09 - Big Wins That Repeat 20:00 - Common Waste Patterns 21:17 - The 30K Database Shutdown 24:19 - Proving Value Amid Growth 31:44 - AI Boosting FinOps Output  🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: "In just a few weeks with AI, I built what previously would have taken me a year or two. It's at least an order of magnitude more output per unit of time." - Cristian Magherusan-Stanciu Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristimagherusan/ Website: https://leanercloud.com/ Website: https://autospotting.io/  Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ Transistor: finopsinaction.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

    41 min
  4. The Costs Hidden in Plain Sight ft. Nick Sudarikov, InvestCloud | Ep # 65

    APR 16

    The Costs Hidden in Plain Sight ft. Nick Sudarikov, InvestCloud | Ep # 65

    Why do so many FinOps practitioners miss the biggest savings opportunities, and what does getting technical have to do with it? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Nick Sudarikov, Finance Director of Technology Operations at InvestCloud, to break down how a background in finance and capital markets can actually make you a sharper, more effective FinOps practitioner. Nick shares how he went from investment banker to hands on FinOps engineer, built a local AI powered stack to query billing data in plain English, and uncovered years of forgotten cloud spend hiding in plain sight. We also cover why most cost tools will never catch your biggest waste, how to map cloud spend to real business value, and what it actually takes to have meaningful conversations with engineering teams.  Here’s what we talked about: Why FinOps practitioners should set up their own cloud accounts and get hands-on experience with the technologyHow understanding engineering workflows changes the conversation with tech teamsThe hidden cost problem that anomaly detection tools will never catchHow Nick uses DuckDB, Parquet files, and AI to query billing data in plain EnglishWhy AI is set to boost FinOps productivity by a factor of 10 and which tools risk losing market share if they don't adaptThe importance of mapping cloud spend to business value before making any optimization recommendations  Chapters: 00:00 - Cost Tool Reality Check 00:17 - Show Intro and Guest 01:36 - Why FinOps Needs Hands On 03:28 - Automation and AI Effort 04:23 - From Finance to Tech 06:57 - Early Cloud and Cost Lessons 10:58 - Startups vs Enterprise Scale 12:04 - Legacy Workloads and Risk 14:32 - Value Chain Before Optimizing 17:30 - Finding Hidden Waste Patterns 19:48 - Local AI for Billing Data 26:30 - Future AI and Closing  🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: "If you haven't started a Docker container ever in your life, probably you're missing out on a lot of things in FinOps." - Nick SudarikovLinks: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolaysudarikov/Website: https://investcloud.com/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ Transistor: finopsinaction.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

    33 min
  5. How to Reduce Cloud Costs Without Sacrificing Performance ft. Jason Ward, C.H. Robinson | Ep #64

    APR 9

    How to Reduce Cloud Costs Without Sacrificing Performance ft. Jason Ward, C.H. Robinson | Ep #64

    Why are your cloud costs so high and what actually fixes them? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Jason Ward, Lead FinOps Practitioner at C.H. Robinson, to break down how to take control of cloud spend without slowing down engineering. Jason shares how he went from mechanic to FinOps leader, built a FinOps function from scratch, and uncovered massive savings, including a 90% cost reduction from a single optimization. We also cover how to work with engineers (not against them), why most cost recommendations fail, and what it really takes to build a sustainable FinOps practice. Here’s what we talked about: How to cut cloud costs without impacting performanceWhy data, not recommendations should drive decisionsHow to get engineers to actually buy into FinOpsThe importance of tagging and cost visibility early onWhen NOT to optimize and why some “waste” is intentionalHow AI is changing cloud spend and what to watch out forChapters: 00:00 - Why Engineers Ignore Small Savings 01:45 - From Mechanic to Cloud Engineer 03:48 - Discovering Cloud Cost Impact 04:48 - Starting FinOps at CH Robinson 06:17 - Early Wins VM Right Sizing 07:19 - Handling Engineer Pushback 09:51 - Tooling Shift to Datadog 11:12 - AKS Tuning 90 Percent Savings 13:15 - Building a Real FinOps Program 14:29 - Executive Buy In and Chargeback 17:38 - Kubernetes Scaling and Hybrid Costs 24:31 - AI Spend and Career Wrap Up  🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: “Without that executive buy-in… most engineers… don’t care so much about the bottom line.” – Jason WardLinks: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jward2/Website: https://www.chrobinson.com/en-us/Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ Transistor: finopsinaction.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

    33 min
  6. Stop Guessing, Start Saving ft. Loic Fournier, AWS | Ep #63

    APR 2

    Stop Guessing, Start Saving ft. Loic Fournier, AWS | Ep #63

    What does it really take to turn cloud cost chaos into a sustainable FinOps practice, and why do most organizations get it wrong from the start? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Loic Fournier, Senior Technical Account Manager at AWS and 2025 AWS Technical Field Community Legend. With over 25 years in technology, from mainframes to modern cloud, Loic has become one of the most recognized voices in AWS cost optimization. Loic shared how the biggest mistake organizations make is treating FinOps as a one-time project rather than an ongoing practice, and what it actually takes to build governance that sticks across people, processes, and technology. We also covered the AWS native tools available to every organization for free, the link between cost optimization and sustainability, and how AI workloads are reshaping FinOps priorities heading into 2026.   Here’s what we talked about: Why FinOps fails when treated as a projectThe three pillars of FinOps governanceHow to get executive buy-inAWS free tools you should activate todayThe hidden savings hiding in your EBS volumesFinOps as a proxy for sustainabilityManaging AI costs before they spiralChapters: 00:00 – Introduction & Loic’s Background01:29 – The #1 Mistake in FinOps Adoption: Project vs. Practice03:14 – Building FinOps Governance: People, Process & Technology05:15 – Real-World Story: Going from Zero to 30% Cost Savings in 2 Years08:30 – The CFM Capacity Assessment & Measuring FinOps Maturity10:33 – What Separates High-Scoring vs. Low-Scoring FinOps Organizations13:00 – AWS Free Tools: Cost Optimization Hub & Compute Optimizer Explained17:16 – The Efficiency Score: Turning Potential Savings into Real Savings19:38 – The Most Common (and Costly) Cloud Waste: EC2, EBS & Databases25:08 – The Cloud Efficiency Hub & Why FinOps = Sustainability29:35 – AI & FinOps in 2026: Managing Model Costs with Bedrock & Routing37:14 – Life in Geneva, Midnight Climbing & Closing Thoughts 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: “FinOps is a proxy for sustainability. When you help a customer perform better in FinOps, you are also helping save the world a little bit.”- Loic FournierLinks: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loicfournier/Website: https://aws.amazon.com/Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ Transistor: finopsinaction.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

    40 min
  7. Making Cost a First-Class Engineering Concern ft. Jai Padmanabhan | Ep #62

    MAR 26

    Making Cost a First-Class Engineering Concern ft. Jai Padmanabhan | Ep #62

    Why does cloud cost optimization only start after it’s already too late? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Jai Padmanabhan, who shares why cloud cost is no longer just a finance concern; it’s a core responsibility for engineering teams. Drawing on decades of experience leading platforms in complex and regulated environments, Jai explains how the shift to the cloud fundamentally changed how organizations think about cost, and why treating it as an afterthought leads to reactive, high-pressure optimization later on. He breaks down how teams can build cost awareness into their day-to-day workflows, from setting budgets and enforcing guardrails to leveraging automation that scales infrastructure up and down based on real demand.  Jai also explores the trade-offs between efficiency and reliability, emphasizing why SLAs should always take priority in production and how over-optimization can introduce unintended consequences. From storage strategies in regulated industries to the hidden complexity of data transfer costs, he shares practical insights on where organizations commonly overspend and how to avoid it.   Here’s what we talked about: The dangers of reactive cost optimization after the bill shows upBuilding cost awareness into engineering teams through budgets and guardrailsHow Kubernetes changes the approach to cost optimizationStorage optimization strategies, especially in regulated industriesHow AI usage is impacting cloud spend (and why it’s still early)Why FinOps should be treated as everyone’s responsibility Chapters: 00:00 - FinOps First Class & Guest Intro 01:14 - Cost Becomes Engineering 06:59 - Kubernetes Autoscaling 10:26 - Risk Versus Savings 12:48 - Dev Prod Mindset 14:36 - Storage In Regulated 18:31 - Big Savings Surprises 22:24 - Day One Playbook 24:40 - AI Spend Management 27:57 - Security And Compliance 31:58 - Final FinOps Advice 37:03 - Connect And Wrap  🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: “ Treat cloud costs as if you were paying a bill from your credit card.” - Jai Padmanabhan Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaishankar-padmanabhan-software-executive/  Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ Transistor: finopsinaction.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

    37 min
  8. Why Cloud Visibility Is the Foundation of FinOps ft. Stijn Depril, Euroclear | Ep #61

    MAR 19

    Why Cloud Visibility Is the Foundation of FinOps ft. Stijn Depril, Euroclear | Ep #61

    If you can’t see where your cloud spend is going, how can you possibly control it? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Stijn Depril, FinOps Architect at Euroclear and Co-Founder of Costra. He shares why cloud visibility is the starting point for any successful FinOps practice. Drawing on decades of experience in infrastructure and cloud architecture, he explains how many organizations rushed into the cloud without fully understanding the financial implications and why FinOps is ultimately about building the right culture, not just cutting costs. Stijn discusses the importance of governance, leadership buy-in, and engineering collaboration when managing cloud spend. He also explains why engineers hold more influence over cost optimization than many organizations realize, and how FinOps teams can empower them to make smarter decisions without slowing innovation. The conversation explores what it really takes to move from reactive cost management to a proactive, organization-wide mindset around cloud efficiency.   Here’s what we talked about: Why visibility is the foundation of effective FinOpsThe risks of moving to the cloud without cost awarenessHow governance helps guide engineers toward optimizationWhy FinOps is as much a cultural shift as it is a financial disciplineThe role engineers play in controlling cloud spendWhat leadership support means for a successful FinOps program Chapters: 0:00 Intro 2:16 Stijn's FinOps Origin Story 4:07 Financial Problem or Engineering Problem? 5:59 Where FinOps Goes Right (and Wrong) 9:05 Should FinOps Be on the Pitch? Crawl, Walk, Run 11:31 What Does a FinOps Architect Actually Do? 16:44 Optimization in Action (The Hackathon Story) 32:17 AI and FinOps: Opportunities & Risks 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: “I don’t need to have all the trophies on my back here. That’s not necessary. I want the organization and the engineers and the architects to do the right job for the organization.” - Stijn Depril Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdepril/ Costra: https://costra.io/ Website: https://www.euroclear.com/en.html  Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ Transistor: finopsinaction.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

    42 min
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About

Welcome to FinOps in Action! Join host, Taylor Houck, Each week, as he sits down with FinOps experts to explore the toughest challenges between FinOps and Engineering. This show is brought to you by PointFive - empowering teams to optimize cloud costs with deep detection and remediation tools that drive action.

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  • Creator
    PointFive
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © PointFive