#054 - From Shiny Objects to FinOps: Taming Cloud Costs in the AI Era with Josh Schlanger (CloudXray AI)

In this episode of the Kubernetes for Humans podcast, we are joined by infrastructure and FinOps expert Josh Schlanger. Drawing on over 15 years of experience across Martech, e-commerce, and health tech, Josh shares why solving core business problems should always take priority over chasing new, "shiny object" technologies. The conversation dives deep into the evolution of cloud spending, exploring how the shift from data center CAPEX to cloud OPEX created a "Wild West" of unchecked spending that can severely impact SaaS margins. Josh discusses the expanding scope of FinOps, highlighting how the costs of data storage, observability tools, and newly adopted AI technologies (like LLM tokens and coding assistants) are rapidly catching up to traditional cloud spend. Tune in to hear Josh's insights on why R&D engineers must own cost optimization execution, why true Platform Engineering is about enabling developers rather than just rebranding sysadmins, and his practical, hands-on tips for identifying and eliminating cloud waste today. Follow Josh and CloudXray AI on Linkedin