Why Developers Should Care About FinOps

As the world of cloud computing continues to evolve, the need for effective FinOps strategies is becoming increasingly important. In this article, we will explore the critical role of developers in effective FinOps strategies and the benefits of FinOps for technical expertise and career growth.

Defining FinOps: Why Developers Are Critical to the Equation

Let's begin by briefly revisiting the definition of FinOps.

The FinOps movement has been steadily gathering momentum since its inception in 2018. The FinOps Foundation defines FinOps as ‘the practice of bringing together Finance, Business, and Technology to master the unit economics of cloud for competitive advantage.’ FinOps is essentially a set of principles and practices that enable organizations to align cloud spending with business objectives to get maximum business value from the cloud.

The 2023 edition of the State of FinOps survey by FinOps Foundation highlights that the biggest challenge reported by FinOps practitioners is enabling engineers to take action. For companies to take full advantage of cloud technology and benefit from its efficiency and cost savings, they need to ensure that their developers are involved in FinOps strategies. Developers play a crucial role in these strategies — they are responsible for understanding how spending on infrastructure affects product delivery quality and have an important part to play in establishing cost optimization processes. Involving developers in FinOps initiatives helps promote visibility into costs and a better understanding of how their decisions impact financial performance.

Moreover, developers are best placed to understand the complexities involved in infrastructure optimization — from identifying resource bottlenecks and developing techniques for reducing cloud costs to developing code for better scalability. They are well-versed in cloud computing concepts such as microservices, containers, and serverless architectures which make them ideal partners in creating effective infrastructure optimization strategies with non-technical teams while complying with security standards and reducing costs. Engaging in FinOps not only does it get them closer to the business processes that their code supports but also helps them evolve their technologies from cost centers into profit centers.

FinOps: The Future of Cloud Optimization and Developer Empowerment

While there is growing agreement on the benefits of FinOps for companies, the State of FinOps report suggests that there are still barriers preventing engineers from fully contributing to FinOps strategies. This indicates that developers may not be fully aware of the many advantages that FinOps offers. Let’s take a moment to explore a few of its key benefits:

• Enhanced Automation: Through deeper collaboration with other departments and stakeholders, developers can build automation processes that align with the business strategy and improve time efficiencies.
• Greater visibility into their projects: By enhancing their understanding of the budget and cost drivers behind their projects, developers can gain deeper insight into their work, helping them to make better decisions and ultimately deliver more efficient solutions.
• Improved Data Tracking: The use of data tracking tools and tags can provide developers with greater insights into how resources are being used within their organization — allowing them to identify any potential areas for improvement or cost reduction.

On top of the technical benefits of FinOps, developers can also benefit from greater career prospects. As the FinOps movement continues to grow, employers are looking for professionals who can offer a combination of technical and financial acumen, making developers with FinOps experience highly desirable.

FinOps is ushering in a new era for developers, offering a unique opportunity for them to take control and make an impact. By using their technical and analytical skills, developers can play a pivotal role in helping their organizations succeed while also improving their own career prospects.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest FinOps strategies and connect with like-minded professionals? Join the FinOps Foundation today and gain access to exclusive content, training, and events.