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From Generative AI to Metaverse and Blockchain, recent years have witnessed nothing short of a revolution in technology. Cloud computing is undergoing rapid developments every other day to support and scale these innovations. And just as the cloud landscape evolves, so do the Cloud FinOps practices and principles that keep your excessive cloud costs at bay.
So how would a FinOps professional keep up with these updates? Yes, with the help of knowledge repositories and thought leadership! But with a vast number of such resources out there, it might get difficult to sift through your options and find a proper knowledge base about FinOps best practices for cloud cost optimization.
Here is a set of five FinOps resources curated by the cloud and FinOps experts at CloudKeeper, to help build your expertise in cloud cost optimization strategies and stay informed about the latest FinOps happenings.
The FinOps Foundation
The real OGs of the domain, the FinOps Foundation is a project by the Linux Foundation, dedicated towards FinOps practitioners to enhance their knowledge and skill set. It involves a community of 12,000+ professionals representing 5000+ companies that acts as a knowledge center for cloud cost management best practices.
The foundation offers an abundance of articles, research papers, and thought leadership by experts in the domain. In addition, they provide courses, training, and certifications for cloud professionals that empower them to make a difference in their organizations and their careers
They also host a community of cloud FinOps enthusiasts, along with a dedicated slack channel and a podcast named ‘FinOpsPod’, which helps you interact and grow your network, and gain knowledge that you probably won’t find elsewhere.
Visit the FinOps Foundation website.
YouTube channels by the hyperscalers
What’s better than to learn the cloud tactics right from the horse’s mouth? The YouTube channels of hyperscalers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud host a rich set of explainer videos on various concepts and ideas of cloud cost management including FinOps, Cloud Cost Analytics, DevOps, and more.
These channels offer a treasure trove of educational content, from practical demos and "how-to" scenarios to updates on the latest cloud features and enhancements. They also showcase some short, informative videos, with which they simplify complex cloud management tasks, making FinOps principles more accessible. You can stay in the loop about industry best practices, hear from experts, and find inspiration in real-world solutions. These channels are your gateway to mastering the art of cloud financial operations while staying up-to-date with the ever-evolving cloud landscape.
That wasn’t surprising, isn’t it? But have you subscribed yet?
View the AWS official YouTube Channel.
r/FinOps - Reddit
For those not in the know, Reddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website, and a ‘subreddit’ means a specific community in Reddit organized by topic. Users can subscribe to subreddits that they are interested in.
r/FinOps is one such subreddit dedicated to the discussion on FinOps and Cloud Financial Management practices, participated by professionals from around the world. Spanning a wide spectrum of skills and expertise, the subreddit is a great resource for learning, sharing FinOps best practices, and connecting with other FinOps practitioners.
Here are some of the things you can expect to find on r/FinOps:
- News and articles about FinOps
- Discussions about FinOps best practices
- Questions and answers about FinOps
- Case studies of FinOps implementations
- Job postings for FinOps roles
Check out the FinOps Subreddit.
The Cloudcast
Podcasts are a great way to learn new things, be entertained, and connect with other people who share your interests. The Cloudcast, an esteemed independent Cloud Computing podcast established in 2011, is hosted by industry experts Aaron Delp and Brian Gracely. Over the years, they have engaged in insightful conversations with influential figures in technology and business, shaping the future of cloud computing.
Notably, The Cloudcast is an invaluable resource for FinOps enthusiasts, offering a plethora of relevant content to bolster your knowledge in Financial Operations. You can find episodes discussing cloud financial management tools, optimization strategies, and the intersection of FinOps with various cloud-related subjects.
The podcast also covers a wide spectrum of topics including Cloud Computing, Open Source, AWS, Azure, GCP, Serverless, DevOps, Big Data, ML, AI, Security, Kubernetes, AppDev, SaaS, PaaS, CaaS, and IoT.
Listen to the FinOps-themed episodes
Cloud FinOps: Collaborative Real-time Cloud Value Decision-Making
Regarded as one of the best technical guides on cloud FinOps that money can buy, this book provides a complete roadmap for adopting and maturing in the FinOps discipline. Based on the experiences of hundreds of real-world FinOps practitioners, the book explains each phase of the FinOps lifecycle thoroughly, right from the basics.
It navigates readers through key topics such as cost optimization strategies, sustainability, and alignment with business goals. It also provides insights on automation in cost management, FinOps practices for containers, cloud cost monitoring and data-driven decision-making, connectivity to other finance frameworks, and more.
The authors J R Storment and Mike Fuller are domain experts and executive leaders from the FinOps Foundation. They have an extensive background of working with some of the largest cloud consumers across the globe.
Learn more about the book.
Honorable mentions
- Learning the Art of Cloud FinOps (Book) - This comprehensive guide offers an insightful exploration of the Cloud FinOps principles. The book breaks down complex financial management in the cloud into clear, easy-to-understand concepts.
- The FinOps Guys (Podcast) - Hosted by Stephen Old and Frank Contrepois, it delves into the latest financial aspects of the cloud, featuring top stories and broader discussions.
- A Cloud Guru (YouTube Channel) - A prominent resource for cloud engineers, A Cloud Guru's YouTube channel covers AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, delivering insightful weekly updates, tutorials, and guidance for cloud certifications to help cloud professionals stay at the forefront of cloud technologies and FinOps best practices.
The above list represents only a small subset of all the various Cloud and FinOps resources available online, that could help you build and enhance your cloud cost management skillset. Exploring these options and applying their insights is not only beneficial for significantly reducing cloud expenses within your organization, but also in advancing your career as a FinOps expert.
Have certified cloud domain experts by your side
CloudKeeper, a comprehensive cloud cost management services provider, is backed by a strong team of 300+ Certified Cloud and FinOps Experts. We regularly publish blogs and whitepapers and host insightful webinars that delve into various Cloud FinOps concepts and best practices.
We’d love to have you check out our FinOps resources.
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