3 ms·

This even spreads to technical architecture, many tech teams stopped exercising fiscal discipline in how they design services. This emerges in tiny low traffic

by lumost 4y ago

This even spreads to technical architecture, many tech teams stopped exercising fiscal discipline in how they design services. This emerges in tiny low traffic micro-services, 4 teams building the same service, un-neccessary data allowed to accumulate in expensive data0stores for a rainy day and more. When some of these startups need to layoff, I'm curious if they'll actually be able to maintain KTLO operations on their reduced staffs without making large product cuts.

Ekaros 4y ago
Now I actually wonder if there would be room for some type of consulting in cost optimization field. Someone coming in and making inventory of data and services run and then recommending how to save on running costs and so on...
- lumost 4y ago
  As I recall, there was a market for that back in the 2000s to help determine what was salvageable from a dead/dying company. The business would probably be much larger and more complex today given that 3/4 of the problem will be disentangling what's actually needed vs. what's nice to have between 10+ teams which are no longer around.
- t_mann 4y ago
  recessions are usually jolly good times for all sorts of restructuring consultants and lawyers. good news for MBA students, they can ditch their Python classes, it's back to cost cutting /s
- nunez 4y ago
  this is one of the benefits of consulting; you can ride both waves and get paid in both directions. Companies need to go max pedal? Consult with them to help them go max pedal! Companies need to save as much fuel as possible? Consult with them to help them cost-optimize all the things!
nbstme 4y ago
Interesting! When I was running a VC-backed unprofitable startup, we chose speed over financial discipline. We built an infra that wasn't optimized to reduce costs. When we switched to profitability, we had to dramatically change our development practices to maintain the same app with fewer people and less code.
- bluefirebrand 4y ago
  > When we switched to profitability, we had to dramatically change our development practices to maintain the same app with fewer people and less code. My suspicion is if you start with that practice you can build the same app with fewer people and less code right from the start. Just that people don't really know how to accomplish that anymore.

by lumost 4y ago

Ekaros 4y ago

Now I actually wonder if there would be room for some type of consulting in cost optimization field. Someone coming in and making inventory of data and services run and then recommending how to save on running costs and so on...

lumost 4y ago
As I recall, there was a market for that back in the 2000s to help determine what was salvageable from a dead/dying company. The business would probably be much larger and more complex today given that 3/4 of the problem will be disentangling what's actually needed vs. what's nice to have between 10+ teams which are no longer around.
t_mann 4y ago
recessions are usually jolly good times for all sorts of restructuring consultants and lawyers. good news for MBA students, they can ditch their Python classes, it's back to cost cutting /s
nunez 4y ago
this is one of the benefits of consulting; you can ride both waves and get paid in both directions. Companies need to go max pedal? Consult with them to help them go max pedal! Companies need to save as much fuel as possible? Consult with them to help them cost-optimize all the things!

nbstme 4y ago

Interesting! When I was running a VC-backed unprofitable startup, we chose speed over financial discipline. We built an infra that wasn't optimized to reduce costs. When we switched to profitability, we had to dramatically change our development practices to maintain the same app with fewer people and less code.

bluefirebrand 4y ago
> When we switched to profitability, we had to dramatically change our development practices to maintain the same app with fewer people and less code. My suspicion is if you start with that practice you can build the same app with fewer people and less code right from the start. Just that people don't really know how to accomplish that anymore.