FinOps Weekly Podcast

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Manual cost optimization is a losing battle. If you are still chasing engineers to tag resources or manually checking dashboards for waste, you are creating a bottleneck.

The future of FinOps is AUTOMATION.

In this episode, we dive deep into how to build a "Self-Driving" FinOps practice by integrating cost controls directly into your development lifecycle (SDLC).

We discuss with Ernesto (Glassity) and Dustin (KPMG) how to replace manual gatekeeping with automated guardrails in your CI/CD pipelines and Terraform code.

What you will learn:

Automated Tagging: How to inject tags at creation time so you never miss a resource.

The "Feedback Loop": Using tools to show cost impact before deployment (in the PR).

Policy as Code: Implementing guardrails that block expensive resources automatically.

Reducing Toil: How automation frees up engineers to focus on features, not finance.

00:00 Introduction
00:58 Challenges in FinOps
04:12 Prioritization and Management in FinOps
08:36 Integrating FinOps into the Software Development Life Cycle
12:01 Automation and Tooling in FinOps
23:04 Motivating Teams and Driving Change
38:47 Future of FinOps and Continuous Improvement
43:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode, we dive deep into the Hybrid FinOps Challenge where cloud, on-prem, SaaS, and AI collide.

✅ The biggest cost pitfalls in hybrid cloud FinOps✅ How to align FinOps, ITAM, and SaaS management teams✅ Why AI and data clouds (like Snowflake & Databricks) change everything✅ Real negotiation tips with mega-vendors like Microsoft & AWS✅ The key to turning visibility into actionable insights

If your enterprise is struggling to control hybrid cloud costs or integrate FinOps across multiple domains, this episode is a must-watch.

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We explore how to build a strong FinOps culture, overcome cloud cost challenges, track progress with actionable KPIs, leverage observability, and apply AI to drive smarter cloud financial operations with expert insights from Amit Khina from DoIt

Learn the top FinOps strategies, KPIs, and quick wins to optimize AI workloads, cut hidden costs, and maximize business value.

Discover how FinOps and ITAM collaboration is transforming cost management in hybrid and cloud environments. Learn strategies to optimize licenses, avoid overspending, and maximize the value of your IT investments.

Learn how AI tools can enhance cost allocation, automate repetitive tasks, and create actionable insights, leading to more efficient and effective financial management.

We explore how AI is revolutionizing financial operations (FinOps) with guest Ben Schechter, CEO of Vantage. Ben explains the intricacies of cloud cost management, the importance of Model Context Protocol (MCP), and how leveraging AI can optimize FinOps practices.

Nilofar Bhurawala reveals how TBM and FinOps align to optimize IT spend, drive business value, and thrive in the cloud + AI era.

Learn how to align technology investments with strategic outcomes, explore the synergies between FinOps and TBM, and understand their role in the era of cloud and AI. A must-listen episode packed with practical insights for FinOps and TBM leaders and professionals.

Unlock the journey from visibility to action in FinOps with expert guest Diana Lezcano. In this episode, we dive into the world of cloud cost optimization, exploring the tools, strategies, and best practices that help engineering teams reduce cloud costs, build trust, and make data-driven decisions. Whether you’re an engineer, finance leader, or product manager, this conversation will give you practical tips to manage and optimize cloud spend effectively.

In a recent episode of the FinOps Weekly Podcast, Larry Advey, an experienced FinOps practitioner and maintainer of the FOCUS specification, shared game-changing insights on collaboration that challenge conventional wisdom about working with different personas in organizations.

Whether you're struggling to get engineering teams on board with cost optimization or wrestling with multi-cloud cost visibility, this deep dive into FinOps collaboration strategies offers practical solutions you can implement immediately.

The Critical Role of Collaboration in FinOps

"Collaboration is of utmost importance and a key element as part of being a successful FinOps practitioner," Advey explains. The reality is that FinOps professionals work with an incredibly diverse ecosystem of stakeholders, even in small companies. You're constantly engaging with engineering, product, finance, procurement, and leadership teams—each with vastly different priorities and communication styles.

The challenge isn't just technical; it's deeply human. Engineers focus on shipping code, developing features, and fixing bugs. Finance teams concentrate on cutting costs, improving profitability, and managing budgets. These priorities often seem at odds, making effective communication crucial for FinOps success.

Understanding this dynamic is the first step toward building the collaborative relationships that make FinOps initiatives successful rather than just another corporate mandate that gets ignored.

Mastering FinOps Personas: Who to Approach and How

Engineering Teams: From Adversary to Ally

Here's where Advey's approach becomes truly counterintuitive. While most FinOps practitioners report that engineering teams are their biggest challenge, Advey finds them the easiest to work with. His secret? A fundamental shift in approach from telling to asking.

"If you propose it to them and ask them, or here's the data, what do you think about this? Do you notice anything with this? Rather than telling them, 'Hey, you've got a problem here, go fix this,' instead ask them, 'Do you see anything that could... can you explain this to me?'"

This approach works because it taps into what engineers naturally love: explaining their systems and showing off the cool stuff they've built. Instead of making them defensive, you're making them the expert in the conversation.

The key principles for engineering collaboration include:

As Victor Garcia, one of the podcast hosts, emphasized from his engineering background: "If you teach an engineer or show him or her how to do stuff, they will do it. And if it's innovative... they will discover and know the tool and how to actually do it."

The Finance Team Dynamic

While engineering teams respond well to technical curiosity and data-driven conversations, finance teams require a different approach. They're typically more comfortable with traditional business metrics and may need help understanding the technical nuances of cloud cost structures.

The key is building relationships at both the individual contributor level and the leadership level, creating what Advey calls "top-down approaches" where executives can drive initiatives while you maintain the technical relationships that make implementation successful.

Multi-Cloud FinOps: Challenges and Solutions

Managing costs across multiple cloud providers introduces layers of complexity that can overwhelm even experienced FinOps practitioners. Advey's approach starts with fundamentals but scales to sophisticated solutions.

Essential Multi-Cloud Strategies:

The reality is that multi-cloud environments are rarely balanced. One cloud typically dominates spending, but having unified visibility prevents blind spots that can lead to surprise costs or missed optimization opportunities.

Technical Skills for Multi-Cloud Success

Success in multi-cloud FinOps requires both breadth and depth. You need enough technical knowledge to communicate effectively with engineering teams while maintaining the business acumen to drive organizational change. As Damian Munafo, another podcast host, observed: "The more technical that you are, it's easier."

FOCUS Specification: The Future of FinOps Standardization

One of the most significant developments in FinOps is the FOCUS (FinOps Open Cost and Transparency Specification), and Advey offers unique insights as one of its maintainers. FOCUS addresses a fundamental challenge in multi-cloud cost management: the lack of standardized terminology and data formats across cloud providers.

"When you go between the different clouds, things are different terms for roughly the same thing. FOCUS is one dictionary by which to call that thing," Advey explains.

FOCUS Adoption and Future Developments:

The specification is already enabling innovative solutions, from AWS QuickSight dashboards to Azure's FinOps Hub, with more vendor adoption expected as the standard matures.

Actionable FinOps Collaboration Strategies

Based on the podcast discussion, here are the most impactful strategies you can implement immediately:

For New FinOps Practitioners:

For Engaging Engineering Teams:

For Multi-Cloud Management:

Conclusion

Successful FinOps isn't just about implementing the right tools or finding the biggest cost optimizations—it's about building the collaborative relationships that make sustainable change possible. Larry Advey's insights challenge us to move beyond traditional approaches and embrace strategies that work with human nature rather than against it.

The key takeaway is simple but powerful: lead with curiosity, make people's jobs easier, and build genuine relationships across the organization. Whether you're working with resistant engineering teams or wrestling with multi-cloud complexity, these principles provide a foundation for success.

As the FinOps field continues to evolve with standards like FOCUS and expanding multi-cloud adoption, the practitioners who master collaboration will be the ones who drive real organizational change. Start with these strategies, experiment with what works in your environment, and remember that every great FinOps program is built on great relationships.

Ready to dive deeper into FinOps collaboration strategies? Subscribe to the FinOps Weekly Podcast for more expert insights and practical advice from leading practitioners in the field.

00:00 Introduction

01:02 The Importance of Collaboration in FinOps

03:50 Challenges and Strategies in Engaging Engineering Teams

16:11 Insights on Multi-Cloud Management

23:48 The Future of FinOps and Focus

35:45 Advice for New FinOps Practitioners