AWS credits and discount programs explained: startup credits (Kickstarter/Activate), PoC + MAP funding, partner credits, and discounts like EDP, private pricing, and volume tiers.
Savings Plans
FinOps is dead, long live the Cloud Financial Management
Why “FinOps” has lost meaning: a critique of the FinOps Foundation’s assumptions and incentives, and why “Cloud Financial Management” is clearer—plus notes on waste, effectiveness vs efficiency.
Review of the book “Cloud FinOps, 2nd Edition” by J.R. Storment, Mike Fuller, O’Reilly Media Inc. 2023
Critical review of Cloud FinOps, 2nd Edition (O’Reilly): argues FinOps shouldn’t be a separate persona, critiques framework claims, and notes missing actionable guidance.
FinOps Foundation’s “FinOps Certified Professional” Certification
Reflections on the FinOps Foundation FinOps Certified Professional: curriculum & framework, cost, and why it pays off—Slack access, peers, and signaling.
Usage+Spend Forecasting on AWS with FinOps Foundation’s Best Practices
FinOps forecasting on AWS: build a CUR + CloudWatch data lake in S3, query with Athena, forecast net unblended vs amortized costs, and present results clearly.