Mike Julian

@mikejulian.com

Cofounder/CEO at DuckbillHQ.com. @mike_julian on Twitter

If your re:Invent week isn't complete without witnessing Corey Quinn interact with actual humans, this is your moment. Wednesday at 7pm. Corey will be... well, Corey. You can decide whether that's the reason you're attending or the challenge you're embracing. RSVP: luma.com/5naymwo1

Last Week in AWS/Duckbill x RedMonk x Heavybit at re:Invent 2025 · Luma

Need to escape the madness on the strip at re:Invent? Join Duckbill, RedMonk, and Heavybit at Atomic Liquors in downtown Vegas. The best party at re:Invent,…

luma.com

Missed your AWS spend commitment? Don't panic. AWS has a neat trick with a hidden "available balance" that lets you kick that shortfall down the road, as long as you keep signing new deals. Learn how to play their game. #finops

We're teaming up with RedMonk and Heavybit to host a relaxed off-the-clock gathering during re:Invent. No demos, no presentations—just a chance to connect with people who shape this industry. Whether you're new to the scene or a long-timer, we'd love to see you there. RSVP: luma.com/5naymwo1

Last Week in AWS/Duckbill x RedMonk x Heavybit at re:Invent 2025 · Luma

Need to escape the madness on the strip at re:Invent? Join Duckbill, RedMonk, and Heavybit at Atomic Liquors in downtown Vegas. The best party at re:Invent,…

luma.com

Trying to negotiate with AWS when your spend is shrinking? You have the negotiating leverage of a wet napkin. The only winning move is not to play. Let your contract expire, slash your costs, and then come back to the table from a position of power. #finops

Is your entire FinOps "team" just one person who looks perpetually haunted? The centralized vs. decentralized debate is a trap. The real answer is a hybrid "Cost Champions" model—like little sleeper agents of fiscal responsibility embedded in your teams. #finops

Started planning re:Invent? Good. Now plan your exit strategy from the Venetian. We're throwing "the best party at re:Invent" with RedMonk and Heavybit. Wed, Dec 3 @ 7pm at Atomic Liquors. Selfie with Corey or avoid him entirely? Both valid. RSVP: luma.com/5naymwo1

Last Week in AWS/Duckbill x RedMonk x Heavybit at re:Invent 2025 · Luma

Need to escape the madness on the strip at re:Invent? Join Duckbill, RedMonk, and Heavybit at Atomic Liquors in downtown Vegas. The best party at re:Invent,…

luma.com

Want to start a FinOps program? The secret first step: do almost nothing. Just measure everything and show people the numbers. Let the gentle, persistent shame of a public dashboard work its magic. You'll be amazed how quickly costs go down. #finops

So you want to know how your cloud spend stacks up against the competition? Great. Do you also want to be profoundly mediocre? Chasing benchmarks strips away everything unique about your business. Compete with the only company that matters: yourself, last month. #finops

Should you use an AWS reseller? For the most part, no. But there are exactly three situations where they aren't a complete waste of time. If you're just buying AWS from them and getting nothing else, you've just added a useless—and expensive—middleman. #finops

A whole lot of SaaS products have been touting their cost optimization capabilities since ZIRP ended. I think "can manage its own costs" is tablestakes for most SaaS products now to such a degree that it's not even worth mentioning in the core features--it's just _expected_.

Just realized every major Vegas strip hotel is now unionized. Venetian unionized last August. I wonder how long before "Relocate re:Invent" made it to someone's agenda--minutes? hours? 😆