IdeaRoast Analysis
The Roast
"You're basically trying to sell people the parachute after they've already jumped out of the plane—AWS cost optimization is a crowded mess, and "move away from AWS" is what every cloud broker has been screaming for a decade. You've picked the exact lane where every consultant, FinOps startup, and AWS partner is already elbowing each other."
Reality Check
💀 Why This Fails
- • AWS cost optimization is dominated by FinOps firms, Spot.io, Kubecost, and AWS's own TAM team—you're the 1,000th person with this idea.
- • Migrating away from AWS is hard, scary, and rare—most companies optimize *within* AWS because switching clouds costs millions and takes 18+ months.
- • You need deep DevOps/architecture credibility and case studies to command $5-20K/month; generic consulting won't cut it.
✅ The Pivot
Instead: **Become a FinOps enabler for mid-market SaaS companies ($1-10M ARR).** Position as "AWS Cost Auditor + Culture Coach"—run a 4-week engagement ($3-5K) where you identify 20-30% waste, implement automated alerts, and train their team on cost discipline. Focus on companies that already trust AWS but bleed money through poor tagging, idle resources, and unoptimized data transfer. This is repeatable, high-margin, and solves real pain (CFOs care about this, engineers don't). You can charge recurring fees ($500-1.5K/month) for ongoing optimization and reporting.