Bridging the gap between cloud cost data and engineering action is the most significant hurdle for modern digital enterprises. This deep dive into data finops explains how to move beyond simple dashboards to create a culture of accountability and measurable business value.

Most organizations struggle with analysis paralysis where visibility exists but action remains stagnant. We explore how to reconnect metrics to business outcomes that engineers actually care about and how to shift the conversation from technology costs to product margins. By treating cloud cost management as a strategic planning session rather than an accounting report, teams can free up budget for innovation and faster feature delivery.

This episode provides a tactical framework brought by Zach Johnson, Head of FinOps at Splunk for building a FinOps Center of Excellence, mastering monthly reviews, and implementing unit economics to quantify the value of every dollar spent in the cloud. Whether you are a finance lead or an engineering manager, these insights will help you transition from reactive cost-cutting to proactive business enablement.

• (00:00:00) - FinOps Quickly
• (00:00:44) - Why Data and Dashboards Don't Spark Action in Finops
• (00:03:30) - What is the best way to get rid of on-demand spend
• (00:07:00) - PayPal's monthly FinOps Review
• (00:09:29) - How to Structure a Monthly Review
• (00:11:35) - How to Keep the Stakeholders Engaged
• (00:13:14) - How to Have a Successful Finops Meeting
• (00:20:12) - FinOps: The Business of IT
• (00:27:49) - Building a FinOps Center of Excellence
• (00:29:44) - What are the critical roles in a more advanced company?
• (00:32:27) - What do you think are one of the most critical factors that create
• (00:34:09) - How to Build the CoE: Year 3
• (00:37:34) - FREENOS: How to Build a FinOps Practice