Last week was a turning point for me. I had the chance to speak at two conferences (FinOpsX 2025 and HAProxyConf 2025) in the same week, and I finally met someone I’ve admired for years. These experiences opened my eyes to how much we can learn when stepping outside the usual environment and talking to people from different backgrounds, industries, and stages of their careers.

At both events, I found myself surrounded by people with different stories and perspectives. Some were just starting out, others were industry veterans, and everyone had something unique to share. Listening to their experiences made me realize how valuable it is to look beyond and see what’s happening in the wider world. It’s easy to get caught up in daily work, but when we zoom out, we can find new ideas and inspiration to bring back home.

Lessons from the FinOps World

One of the biggest eye-openers came during the FinOps conference. I learned that the average Effective Savings Rate (ESR) in the market is around 15-30%. When I heard that, I immediately thought of my current team. Our ESR is already better than that, and we’re on track to achieve even better numbers. That’s a huge difference and something we should be proud of. It means we’re much more efficient than most companies out there. We’re unlocking a lot of savings and allowing the business to grow with efficiency.

What’s even more impressive is that we do this without relying on a lot of expensive tools or complicated frameworks. Our approach is lean, efficient, and it works. In contrast, most enterprise companies have a dedicated FinOps team of two to six people, and they often use vendor tools to manage costs. Their daily work involves checking dashboards, spotting any spikes or abnormalities, preparing reports, and sending recommendations to application owners. This process requires a dedicated team and expensive tools. Yet, our team achieves even better results with fewer resources by prioritizing the delivery of useful features before taking on more elaborate tasks.

Another interesting trend I noticed was that many cybersecurity companies are now moving into the FinOps space. Companies like Lacework, has approach and implementation that are adopted by startups to extract the necessary information. Their agents run everywhere in our environment, collecting data that can be used for both security and cost mapping. It’s fascinating to see how quickly the market is changing and how companies are adapting.

I also met people from startups that were only two months old, with almost no customers, yet they invested a significant portion of their budget to have a booth at the event for two days. Many of these startups were from Israel, known for their entrepreneurial spirit. Their courage to build fast, take risks, and put themselves out there was inspiring. It reminded me that sometimes, you just have to take a chance, even if you’re not sure what will happen.

Meeting My Hero and Lessons to Bring Home

The highlight of my week was meeting Kelsey Hightower, a distinguished engineer I’ve followed for ten years. When I started out as an engineer in a small country, I learned about Docker and Kubernetes through his work. His Kubernetes the Hard Way guide was a foundation for my own journey. Meeting him in person was amazing – he was down-to-earth, friendly, and treated everyone with respect. We talked about technology, experience, and even life. What stood out to me was that Kelsey’s success isn’t just because he’s smart, but because he’s a genuinely good person who listens and cares about others.

After this week, I wrote down a few lessons I want to remember and share with you all.

• First, talk to people outside your usual circle – every conversation is a chance to learn something new.
• Second, be brave like those startups – don’t be afraid to try new things, even if you’re not sure they’ll work.
• And finally, treat everyone with respect. Listen well, be kind, and help others when you can.

Engaging with organizations throughout our community has given me valuable new perspectives, helped me appreciate our collective strengths, and inspired fresh ideas for growth. By staying curious, learning from one another, and openly sharing our experiences, we can all contribute to a stronger, more innovative community.