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Also as a SaaS founder running on AWS, I would totally do this once our AWS bill is in the 4-5 figures.

• QuinnyPig 10y ago
  It's almost like clockwork. Companies start wondering around $10K a month; they start doing something about it at $50K a month. I can almost set my watch by it. This turns into a fun parlor trick when I can estimate a client's bill based upon the story they tell me!
  • deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  • vacri 10y ago
    We got pinged by our CEO to reduce our AWS bill which was $8k at the time. After a bit of work, we got it down by a little over a grand. One lunch, he said "guys, what are you doing about that bill?"... "What, we got it down by over a grand!"... "Yeah, but the exchange rate has gone the other way..." Gotta love the Australian dollar. The Australian economy is solid - about to set a world record for longest continuing period without recession, including the GFC years - but the AUD swings around like a mad animal.
• user5994461 10y ago
  The savings are too miserable to pay a consultant. Remember that he has to charge at least $1000 a day. He's more expensive than your entire bill.
  • QuinnyPig 10y ago
    Right. Surprisingly, the comment you're responding to resembles some of my clients. This is a business problem. In this case it's not "save us a few grand" that they're asking for-- the real ask is "help us analyze and forecast our spend as we continue to grow." Identify the knobs and dials that impact infrastructure costs, devise a costing model that states "each additional user costs $X to service," identify what makes sense to arbitrage between AWS and other providers / on-prem... If I'm being honest, "lower the bill" is where it starts, but not nearly where it ends. :-)
    • user5994461 10y ago
      Agreed, consulting is more than just lowering the bill once. That doesn't change that they don't have the funds to pay the fees though.