As a start-up CTO, keeping costs under control is critical for success. One area where we have made significant savings is in our cloud infrastructure and tool spend. I’m always looking for ways to optimise our usage as well as take advantage of free services offered by cloud and SaaS providers like Microsoft, AWS, and others for start-ups.
Microsoft’s free services for start-ups include a range of tools and resources, such as Azure credits, free developer tools, and access to technical experts. With Azure credits, start-ups can get up to $120,000 in free credits to use on any Azure service for up to two years. Microsoft also offers free developer tools like Visual Studio Community, Visual Studio Code and GitHub, as well as access to technical experts through the Microsoft for Start-ups program.
AWS also offers a range of free services for start-ups, including AWS Activate, which provides start-ups with free access to AWS resources, technical support, and training. With AWS Activate, start-ups can get up to $100,000 in AWS credits to use on any AWS service for up to two years. AWS also offers free developer tools like AWS Cloud9 and AWS CodeStar, as well as free training and support through the AWS Activate Console.
By taking advantage of these free services, we have dramatically reduced our cloud infrastructure spend while also accessing valuable resources and expertise. Whether you’re building a new application, scaling your business, or optimising your usage, these free services can help digital start-ups get started quickly and stay on top of costs. As a start-up CTO, leveraging these free services can be a critical part of your success, so be sure to explore what’s available from Microsoft and AWS.
Furthermore, with the right strategies in place, you can optimise your usage and avoid unnecessary expenses once the free services run out.
Start by using the built-in cloud cost optimisation tools to monitor your usage and identify areas where you can reduce costs. Rightsizing your resources is another way to make sure you’re paying only for what you need, while reserved instances and spot instances can help you save money compared to paying the on-demand price.
You can also optimise your storage, turn off unused resources, and use serverless computing to further reduce costs.
In addition, we have found automation provides an essential tool for reducing cloud infrastructure spend. By automating tasks like resource provisioning and scaling, we have been able to eliminate manual errors and ensure efficient resource utilisation. By automating our build and deployment processes, we have been able reduce the time and effort required to release new features, while also reducing the risk of errors and over provisioning.
Overall, by combining cost optimisation strategies with automation and some free tools, we have been able to significantly reduce our cloud infrastructure spend while also improving our development processes and time to market. Let me know if you have some more start-up CTO tips.