“We’d love to have you join our team,” he said. Eeks! I screamed in my head. You did it, Joanne!
I happily accepted the role on the spot, hung up the phone, and this time really screamed.
One week later, I started my first day as the senior content marketing manager at CloudBolt.
Now don’t take my giddy excitement for inexperience—this is by no means my first rodeo. I’ve done content marketing at tech companies for quite some time now (10 years, to be exact) and have managed topics such as digital transformation, cloud computing, and AI across multiple industries. I can write technical articles, produce in-depth webinar series, and interview thought leaders like the best of them.
There’s just one problem: I don’t know anything about FinOps.
The Meaning of FinOps
When I first heard the term “FinOps,” I naturally assumed it was short for “financial operations,” which entails managing financial transactions, budgeting, and accounting within an organization. I then considered the word “fintech” and thought perhaps it was related to financial technology innovations like digital payments or blockchain. But to my surprise, FinOps is nothing of the sort. The name is actually a portmanteau (or what I’d like to say, a mashup) of “Finance” and “DevOps.” But DevOps is a common methodology for software development—what does that have to do with finance?
To get to the bottom of my confusion, I visited the FinOps Foundation for its official definition, which reads as follows: “FinOps is an operational framework and cultural practice which maximizes the business value of cloud, enables timely data-driven decision making, and creates financial accountability through collaboration between engineering, finance, and business teams.” The definition also accompanied a comprehensive framework including principles, personas, domains, and capabilities. Before me was an entirely untapped universe—and oh, was I diving in.
A few days later—with multiple moments coming up for air—I think I finally understand. Rather than simply managing money, FinOps is about making money. It’s taking a strategic and agile approach to cloud spend and making real-time proactive decisions that produce the highest return on investment for the business. With this approach, the cloud functions as less of a cost center that keeps the rest of the business running and more of a profit center that directly pours more money into the business so it not only runs but grows. What do you think—am I on the right track?
Learning from the Best at FinOps X
Luckily for me, my education journey isn’t stopping any time soon. In fact, I’ll be getting a 2-day crash course when I make a pit stop at FinOps X, an annual conference hosted by the FinOps Foundation, in San Diego from June 19 to 22. Along with end-user practitioners, subject matter experts, and thought leaders, I’ll be soaking in the real-world FinOps stories and best practices from companies leading the way in innovation.
Here is my list of top sessions that I want to attend:
- Journey to the Center of FinOps with Duolingo, Instructure, and Ticketmaster
- FinOps Across Public Cloud and On-Prem
- Maximizing FinOps Education Impact: Insights from Walmart and the FinOps Foundation
- Navigating FinOps: Building a Lasting Culture for Financial Success
- Applying FinOps to Gen AI
- Navigating New Intersections and Trends: FinOps, AI, and Sustainability – Microsoft
- How Cloud FinOps Brings Value to AI Investments – Google Cloud
And of course, I’m not going to miss the panel that our chief technology officer Kyle Campos is hosting on Thursday, June 20, Adopting FinOps: Advanced Tips & Tactics.
While I might be joining the party a little late, I’m glad to be here at a time when FinOps is evolving before our eyes. There’s still much to do in this space and learn from one another. I’ll be furiously taking notes at FinOps X, but if you see me, be sure to tap me on the shoulder and say hi! I’d love to meet you, hear your story about journeying into FinOps, and have you be part of mine.
