Ep#2 Faces in FinOps with Youssef Ibrahim from Block

Welcome to the Faces In FinOps Podcast hosted by Jon Myer and powered by ProsperOps.

Today's guest is Youssef Ibrahim, a Cloud Economics Lead at Block, discussing various aspects of cloud economics, #FinOps, and cloud financial management practices in the cloud space. With over five years of experience in this field, Youssef highlights his journey and insights into managing cloud costs effectively.

Youssef emphasizes the importance of meeting teams at different stages of cloud maturity, tailoring strategies to their needs, and fostering a FinOps culture. He touches on both centralized and decentralized approaches to managing cloud costs, using a mix of rate optimization and usage optimization initiatives. He discusses implementing AI and automation tools to enhance efficiency, generate scripts, and facilitate optimization efforts.

The conversation delves into the significance of accurate reporting, highlighting how trustworthy and transparent reporting is the foundation of effective FinOps. Youssef shares his experiences with budgeting and forecasting cloud costs, acknowledging the challenges of estimating and tying growth metrics to infrastructure investments. He emphasizes the need to communicate assumptions and strategies in the forecasting process.

Overall, the discussion provides valuable insights into cloud economics practices, the challenges faced by FinOps teams, and the strategies employed to manage cloud costs effectively within an evolving landscape.