FinOps in Action

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

    -1 J

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

    16 AVR.

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

    9 AVR.

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

    2 AVR.

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

    26 MARS

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

    19 MARS

    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
  7. From Granular Optimizations to Wide Impact ft. Chandan Bukkapatnam, Procore Technologies | Ep #60

    12 MARS

    From Granular Optimizations to Wide Impact ft. Chandan Bukkapatnam, Procore Technologies | Ep #60

    How do you move from chasing $15 cloud savings to building a scalable FinOps program that actually drives impact? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Chandan Bukkapatnam, Senior Cloud FinOps Analyst at Procore Technologies, to unpack what it really takes to mature a FinOps practice from tactical cost-cutting to strategic influence. Chandan shares how he intentionally built his career at the intersection of cloud architecture and finance, why he initially focused too heavily on granular optimizations, and how automation changed everything. He explains why small “one-off” savings often waste engineering time, and how building systems is what truly scales cloud cost optimization. The conversation also explores one of the most important skills in FinOps: influencing without authority. Chandan breaks down how to build trust with engineers, secure leadership buy-in, and meet finance and engineering teams where they are, using the language that matters to each. Finally, the episode dives into the future of FinOps in an AI-driven world. From FinOps for AI workloads to AI for FinOps automation, Chandan shares how he sees artificial intelligence amplifying the practitioner’s role.  Here’s what we talked about: Why focusing on tiny cloud savings can backfireHow to prioritize high-impact cloud cost optimizationBuilding automation workflows that scaleGaining leadership buy-in for FinOps initiativesFinOps for AI vs. AI for FinOpsThe evolving strategic role of FinOps practitioners 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: “ AI is taking over the world… but context is still number one.” - Chandan Bukkapatnam Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandan426/ Website: https://www.procore.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
  8. Building a Cost-Aware Culture in the Age of AI ft. Henrique Amorim, Crayon | Ep #59

    5 MARS

    Building a Cost-Aware Culture in the Age of AI ft. Henrique Amorim, Crayon | Ep #59

    What if the biggest mistake new FinOps teams make isn’t missing savings, but executing them too soon? In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Henrique Amorim, Business Analyst and FinOps Specialist at Crayon. He shares an honest look at what it really takes to build a successful FinOps practice. From resisting the urge to immediately slash costs to navigating engineering relationships and preparing for the AI-driven future of cloud spend, this conversation goes far beyond surface-level optimization tips. Henrique breaks down why FinOps isn’t about being the “cost police”. It’s about building influence, trust, and a culture of cost awareness across engineering, finance, and leadership. If you’re working in cloud cost optimization, FinOps, or AI cost management, this episode will challenge how you think about leverage, execution, and long-term impact.   Here’s what we talked about: Why you should treat early cloud savings as strategic leverageThe difference between theoretical savings and truly actionable optimizationsHow AI is reshaping the FinOps functionThe importance of building dashboards, processes, and visibility before scaling savingsWhy some “cost inefficiencies” are actually architectural featuresThe role of community in accelerating your FinOps maturityManaging up: how to communicate FinOps impact to executives 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  Quote of the Show: “Identify those savings and keep them as an ace up your sleeve while using that as leverage to get your roots in the system.” - Henrique Amorim Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henriqueamorim/ Website: https://www.crayon.com/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

    48 min
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À propos

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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  • Création
    PointFive
  • Années d’activité
    2025 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    68
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    © PointFive