Ben Schaechter from Vantage - Cloud Cost Optimization Explained
08/29/23 • 33 min
Our Guest: Ben Schaechter is the Co-founder & CEO of Vantage, a cloud cost optimization platform for AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, Datadog, Snowflake, Databricks, Fastly, and more.
Episode Topics:
- The current maturity level of the Cloud Cost Optimization cycle.
- The dollar threshold of cloud spending at which organizations should consider pursuing cloud optimization services
- Understanding how Vantage facilitates the process of cloud optimization.
- Ben's view on the hyperscaler cloud service providers' included cost management tools + looking at all elements contributing to cloud usage-based cost.
- Ben's take on the Morgan Stanley thesis that cloud cost optimization leads to greater spending / more workloads long-term.
- Do all optimization efforts lead to greater lock-in with the cloud provider?
- Commitment mechanisms + taking advantage of Enterprise Discount Program (EDP).
- The timeframe for yielding positive results after implementing cloud optimizations.?
- Ben’s commentary on trends outside the hyperscalers, including Snowflake, Databricks, and Datadog.
Resources:
https://www.vantage.sh/cloud-cost-report/2023-q2
https://www.vantage.sh/cloud-cost-report/2023-q1
About Cloud Radio by Cloud Ratings:
Made for "full stack" cloud + SaaS operators, Cloud Radio is a SaaS podcast covers all aspects of the business of software.
Our host - Matt Harney - is active on Twitter @saasletter and writes "SaaSletter", an investing-oriented SaaS newsletter on Substack.
https://cloudradio.cloudratings.com/
https://twitter.com/SaaSletter
About Cloud Ratings:
Cloud Ratings is a customer outcomes-focused, data-driven software research analyst firm. We exist to allow organizations to make more confident, lower-risk software purchasing decisions.
Our Cloud Ratings Category Reports combine user reviews with verified vendor data to impartially identify leading software products. Recent report examples include: Lead Routing Software, Sales Training + Onboarding Software, Sales Conversation Intelligence Software, and Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Software
Built upon investigative customer interviews, our True ROI Reports quantify and provide 3rd party validation of a software product’s business value.
Our Guest: Ben Schaechter is the Co-founder & CEO of Vantage, a cloud cost optimization platform for AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, Datadog, Snowflake, Databricks, Fastly, and more.
Episode Topics:
- The current maturity level of the Cloud Cost Optimization cycle.
- The dollar threshold of cloud spending at which organizations should consider pursuing cloud optimization services
- Understanding how Vantage facilitates the process of cloud optimization.
- Ben's view on the hyperscaler cloud service providers' included cost management tools + looking at all elements contributing to cloud usage-based cost.
- Ben's take on the Morgan Stanley thesis that cloud cost optimization leads to greater spending / more workloads long-term.
- Do all optimization efforts lead to greater lock-in with the cloud provider?
- Commitment mechanisms + taking advantage of Enterprise Discount Program (EDP).
- The timeframe for yielding positive results after implementing cloud optimizations.?
- Ben’s commentary on trends outside the hyperscalers, including Snowflake, Databricks, and Datadog.
Resources:
https://www.vantage.sh/cloud-cost-report/2023-q2
https://www.vantage.sh/cloud-cost-report/2023-q1
About Cloud Radio by Cloud Ratings:
Made for "full stack" cloud + SaaS operators, Cloud Radio is a SaaS podcast covers all aspects of the business of software.
Our host - Matt Harney - is active on Twitter @saasletter and writes "SaaSletter", an investing-oriented SaaS newsletter on Substack.
https://cloudradio.cloudratings.com/
https://twitter.com/SaaSletter
About Cloud Ratings:
Cloud Ratings is a customer outcomes-focused, data-driven software research analyst firm. We exist to allow organizations to make more confident, lower-risk software purchasing decisions.
Our Cloud Ratings Category Reports combine user reviews with verified vendor data to impartially identify leading software products. Recent report examples include: Lead Routing Software, Sales Training + Onboarding Software, Sales Conversation Intelligence Software, and Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Software
Built upon investigative customer interviews, our True ROI Reports quantify and provide 3rd party validation of a software product’s business value.
Previous Episode
Elena Hutchison - Analyst Relations Explained
Our Guest: Elena Hutchison, formerly an Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Medallia, is now the Founder of Up/Right Analyst Relations. The firm offers coaching, consulting, and fractional analyst relations services, specifically designed to enhance companies' engagement with Gartner, Forrester, and other industry leaders.
Episode Topics:
- Understanding the analyst relations function beyond quadrants + how analyst firms serve their own customers
- Elena’s insights on the accuracy of Gartner’s Magic Quadrants and Forrester’s Wave
- Elena expands on her “Most Important Sales Cycle of the Year” post
- Should companies always participate in an analyst Request for Information (RFI)?
- How can early + mid-stage companies best work with analyst firms?
- How analysts evaluate emerging vendors within categories + significance of vendor financial stability
- The value of customer stories around ROI when collaborating with analysts
- How to gain buy-in for an analyst relations program?
- Understanding the timeline for tangible, positive results from an analyst relations program.
- Elena’s insights on the differences between the largest analyst firms and niche analyst firms.
Resources:
https://www.uprightar.com/blog/your-analyst-evaluation-is-the-most-important-sales-cycle-of-the-year
https://www.uprightar.com/blog/debunking-five-myths-of-analyst-relations-for-startup-ceos
https://www.saasboost.io/outsourced-sales-blog/top-saas-directory-and-review-sites-complete-guide-2023
About Cloud Radio by Cloud Ratings:
Made for "full stack" cloud + SaaS operators, Cloud Radio is a SaaS podcast covers all aspects of the business of software.
Our host - Matt Harney - is active on Twitter @saasletter and writes "SaaSletter", an investing-oriented SaaS newsletter on Substack.
https://cloudradio.cloudratings.com/
https://twitter.com/SaaSletter
About Cloud Ratings:
Cloud Ratings is a customer outcomes-focused, data-driven software research analyst firm. We exist to allow organizations to make more confident, lower-risk software purchasing decisions.
Our Cloud Ratings Category Reports combine user reviews with verified vendor data to impartially identify leading software products. Recent report examples include: Lead Routing Software, Sales Training + Onboarding Software, Sales Conversation Intelligence Software, and Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Software
Built upon investigative customer interviews, our True ROI Reports quantify and provide 3rd party validation of a software product’s business value.
Next Episode
Andy Wilson - Co-Founder + Former CEO of Logikcull - A Big Exit, AI Realities, + 19 Lessons From 19 Years
Our Guest: Andy Willson, Co-Founder and former CEO of Logikcull, a cloud-based eDiscovery solution trusted by hundreds of legal teams to automate discovery and legal holds for disputes, subpoenas, investigations, record requests, and more. After 19 years of building, Logikcull was acquired by Reveal in late August 2023.
Episode Topics:
- How Andy is feeling post-exit.
- How Logikcull created an inbound GTM motion with product-led growth dynamics.
- Andy's insights into managing customer expectations in the context of artificial intelligence (AI) in legal tech.
- Andy's advice and strategies for people outside legal tech expanding into AI.
- We then dive deep into Andy’s excellent “19 Lessons From 19 Years”
- “#1. The team you build is the company you build. Want to build a great company? Find great people and never settle”.
- “#4. Get written agreements for the work you need done, not assumed expectations. ASSUME = ASS + U + ME.”
- “#5. Hire leaders that run at high tempos with high energy & high capability. The team will mirror them and the force will multiply.”
- “#8. Build something people want and value. Price accordingly.”
- “#9. No customers -> No employees -> No revenue -> No business. Focus on customers and have all employees, especially engineers, frequently interact with customers. This will create empathy and empathy drives urgency.”
- “#16. Small teams with high agency & chips on their shoulders will win. Keep your teams small and give them the direction & freedom to succeed. More customers and more revenue is > more employees. “Chips on shoulders puts chips in pockets.” - Josh Wolfe”
- “#18. Extinction-level events will happen (we had a few ourselves =). The team you build will define whether your business lives or dies during these times. So, when in doubt, hire for grit. Tough times don’t last. But tough people do.”
- “#19. Never give up.”
- A final question: How did Andy maintain a healthy relationship with a co-founder for two decades?
Resources:
“19 Lessons From 19 Years” Twitter Thread: https://twitter.com/iDedupe/status/1678381125042044931
https://resource.revealdata.com/en/press/logikcull-ipro-acquisition
About Cloud Radio by Cloud Ratings:
Made for "full stack" cloud + SaaS operators, Cloud Radio is a SaaS podcast covers all aspects of the business of software.
Our host - Matt Harney - is active on Twitter @saasletter and writes "SaaSletter", an investing-oriented SaaS newsletter on Substack.
https://cloudradio.cloudratings.com/
https://twitter.com/SaaSletter
About Cloud Ratings:
Cloud Ratings is a customer outcomes-focused, data-driven software research analyst firm. We exist to allow organizations to make more confident, lower-risk software purchasing decisions.
Our Cloud Ratings Category Reports combine user reviews with verified vendor data to impartially identify leading software products. Recent report examples include: Account-Based Marketing Software, Cap Table + Equity Management Software, Lead Routing Software, Sales Training + Onboarding Software, and Sales Conversation Intelligence Software.
Built upon investigative customer interviews, our True ROI Reports quantify and provide 3rd party validation of a software product’s business value.
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