How do I get started with cloud cost visibility if we have none today?

Start with three things: a tagging strategy, a cost allocation structure, and a weekly review cadence. First, define mandatory tags for every resource — at minimum: environment, team, and service. Second, set up cost allocation using your cloud provider's built-in tools (AWS Cost Explorer, Azure Cost Management, or GCP Billing).

Map costs to business units, not just technical teams. Third, establish a weekly 15-minute cost review where someone actually looks at the dashboard. The biggest gap isn't tooling — it's attention.

Most organizations have the data; they just never look at it. You don't need a FinOps platform on day one. You need a habit.