Hidden Cloud Costs: The Cost Behind Every Cloud Click

In this episode of the FinOps on Azure Podcast, we’re joined by Jez Back for a practical conversation on what FinOps really looks like inside modern cloud environments – beyond dashboards, tools, and frameworks.

Drawing from real-world experience, Jez explains why cost transparency and observability are foundational to effective cloud cost management, and why many organisations struggle not because of tooling gaps, but because of unclear ownership, misaligned incentives, and lack of shared understanding between teams.

You can listen to the other episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Episode Highlights

00:00:04 – Introduction and guest background

00:01:59 – Defining “the cost of a click”

00:02:52 – Economic headwinds and IT budget pressures

00:04:03 – Key challenges

00:05:39 – Carbon consciousness and sustainability in decisions

00:07:07 – Business and finance literacy for technologists

00:14:30 – Measuring “more” and business value

00:22:01 – Fixing it: Embedding FinOps, shifting left on cost/carbon

00:25:51 – Real-world example

00:30:18 – Takeaway: Learn basic finance for better decisions

00:36:23 – Closing

Enjoyed This Conversation?

Don’t miss other episodes of the FinOps on Azure Podcast, where we speak with practitioners, consultants, and cloud leaders about real-world cost management challenges, lessons learned, and what actually works in practice.

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