I have little doubt that many companies, including startups could reduce their cloud expense by 50%. I run tech for a big company and we've cut cloud costs exte

I have little doubt that many companies, including startups could reduce their cloud expense by 50%. I run tech for a big company and we've cut cloud costs extensively over the past few years. That said, I doubt it will mostly come from negotiation. Usually it comes by eliminating and reducing usage of services. Does your test region really need to be 1:1 with production? Do you really need that server that you use twice a week to be running 24/7 etc. Startups, especially, rarely have the clout or buying power to negotiate meaningfully at a unit-price level.