CEO intent to FinOps decisions
FinOps starts with intent. With a CEO saying: “We are going to take this risk.” With executives debating what that really means. And you untangling what it means for your FinOps practice. You need to learn the art of …
Connections
FinOps starts with intent. With a CEO saying: “We are going to take this risk.” With executives debating what that really means. And you untangling what it means for your FinOps practice. You need to learn the art of executive interpretation (ie reading in the tea leaves of intent).
This is what the flow looks like
- With a CEO saying: “We are going to take this risk.”
- With executives debating what that really means.
- With audit asking what could go wrong.
- With third parties adding their views.
And somewhere in the middle, you, the FinOps practitioner, have to interpret all of it, and distill it to FinOps priorities, policies and rollouts.
In this short video, I talk about how strategic intent becomes technical mandate, and why interpretation is the work of FinOps.
Want to learn about it live (and for free)?
<div class="kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper">
<div class="kg-cta-sponsor-label">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">SPONSORED</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="kg-cta-content">
<div class="kg-cta-image-container">
<a href="https://stacklet.ai/event/nyc-ai-cloud-governance-workshop/"><img src="https://frankcontrepois.com/content/images/2026/02/nyc.webp" alt="CTA Image" data-image-dimensions="768x502"></a>
</div>
<div class="kg-cta-content-inner">
<div class="kg-cta-text">
<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Join me in NYC for a in the trenches workshop, on the 11 March 2026, in the morning. </span></p>
</div>
<a href="https://stacklet.ai/event/nyc-ai-cloud-governance-workshop/" class="kg-cta-button " style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff;">
Register for NYC
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div><p>OR</p><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-minimal kg-cta-has-img " data-layout="minimal">
<div class="kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper">
<div class="kg-cta-sponsor-label">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">SPONSORED</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="kg-cta-content">
<div class="kg-cta-image-container">
<a href="https://stacklet.ai/event/atlanta-workshop-finops-governance-for-ai-cloud-infrastructure/"><img src="https://frankcontrepois.com/content/images/2026/02/atl.jpeg" alt="CTA Image" data-image-dimensions="1920x1280"></a>
</div>
<div class="kg-cta-content-inner">
<div class="kg-cta-text">
<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Join me in Atlanta for a in the trenches workshop, on the 12 March 2026, in the morning. </span></p>
</div>
<a href="https://stacklet.ai/event/atlanta-workshop-finops-governance-for-ai-cloud-infrastructure/" class="kg-cta-button " style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff;">
Register for Atlanta
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div><p>I’ve also built a full example pack a full chain of intent for the fictitious "Stratum retail", and the summary document that connects it all. </p><p>Explore what Top-down looks like in a fictional practice.</p><p>It’s downloadable if you want to explore it yourself.</p><div class="kg-card kg-header-card kg-v2 kg-width-full kg-content-wide " style="background-color: #000000;" data-background-color="#000000">
<div class="kg-header-card-content">
<div class="kg-header-card-text kg-align-center">
<h2 id="stratum-retail-pack" class="kg-header-card-heading" style="color: #FFFFFF;" data-text-color="#FFFFFF"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Stratum retail - pack</span></h2>
<p id="from-ceo-intent-to-finops-mission" class="kg-header-card-subheading" style="color: #FFFFFF;" data-text-color="#FFFFFF"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">From CEO intent to FinOps mission</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div><h2 id="initial-ceo-email">Initial CEO email</h2><div class="kg-card kg-file-card"><a class="kg-file-card-container" href="https://frankcontrepois.com/content/files/2026/02/100---Board-and-executive-strategy-memorandum-1.pdf" title="Download" download=""><div class="kg-file-card-contents"><div class="kg-file-card-title">100 - Board and executive strategy memorandum</div><div class="kg-file-card-caption"></div><div class="kg-file-card-metadata"><div class="kg-file-card-filename">100 - Board and executive strategy memorandum.pdf</div><div class="kg-file-card-filesize">27 KB</div></div></div><div class="kg-file-card-icon"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24"><defs><style>.a{fill:none;stroke:currentColor;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-width:1.5px;}</style></defs><title>download-circle</title><polyline class="a" points="8.25 14.25 12 18 15.75 14.25"></polyline><line class="a" x1="12" y1="6.75" x2="12" y2="18"></line><circle class="a" cx="12" cy="12" r="11.25"></circle></svg></div></a></div><h2 id="exec-debating">Exec debating</h2><div class="kg-card kg-file-card"><a class="kg-file-card-container" href="https://frankcontrepois.com/content/files/2026/02/200---exec-commitee.pdf" title="Download" download=""><div class="kg-file-card-contents"><div class="kg-file-card-title">200 - exec commitee</div><div class="kg-file-card-caption"></div><div class="kg-file-card-metadata"><div class="kg-file-card-filename">200 - exec commitee.pdf</div><div class="kg-file-card-filesize">29 KB</div></div></div><div class="kg-file-card-icon"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24"><defs><style>.a{fill:none;stroke:currentColor;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-width:1.5px;}</style></defs><title>download-circle</title><polyline class="a" points="8.25 14.25 12 18 15.75 14.25"></polyline><line class="a" x1="12" y1="6.75" x2="12" y2="18"></line><circle class="a" cx="12" cy="12" r="11.25"></circle></svg></div></a></div><h2 id="board-audit-and-risk-review">Board audit and risk review</h2><div class="kg-card kg-file-card"><a class="kg-file-card-container" href="https://frankcontrepois.com/content/files/2026/02/300---Board-audit-and-risk-review.pdf" title="Download" download=""><div class="kg-file-card-contents"><div class="kg-file-card-title">300 - Board audit and risk review</div><div class="kg-file-card-caption"></div><div class="kg-file-card-metadata"><div class="kg-file-card-filename">300 - Board audit and risk review.pdf</div><div class="kg-file-card-filesize">31 KB</div></div></div><div class="kg-file-card-icon"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24"><defs><style>.a{fill:none;stroke:currentColor;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-width:1.5px;}</style></defs><title>download-circle</title><polyline class="a" points="8.25 14.25 12 18 15.75 14.25"></polyline><line class="a" x1="12" y1="6.75" x2="12" y2="18"></line><circle class="a" cx="12" cy="12" r="11.25"></circle></svg></div></a></div><h2 id="ai-cost-exposure-overview">AI cost exposure overview </h2><div class="kg-card kg-file-card"><a class="kg-file-card-container" href="https://frankcontrepois.com/content/files/2026/02/400---AI-systems-and-cost-exposure-overview.pdf" title="Download" download=""><div class="kg-file-card-contents"><div class="kg-file-card-title">400 - AI systems and cost exposure overview</div><div class="kg-file-card-caption"></div><div class="kg-file-card-metadata"><div class="kg-file-card-filename">400 - AI systems and cost exposure overview.pdf</div><div class="kg-file-card-filesize">32 KB</div></div></div><div class="kg-file-card-icon"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24"><defs><style>.a{fill:none;stroke:currentColor;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-width:1.5px;}</style></defs><title>download-circle</title><polyline class="a" points="8.25 14.25 12 18 15.75 14.25"></polyline><line class="a" x1="12" y1="6.75" x2="12" y2="18"></line><circle class="a" cx="12" cy="12" r="11.25"></circle></svg></div></a></div><h2 id="finops-relevant-summary">FinOps relevant summary</h2><div class="kg-card kg-file-card"><a class="kg-file-card-container" href="https://frankcontrepois.com/content/files/2026/02/500---structured-summary.pdf" title="Download" download=""><div class="kg-file-card-contents"><div class="kg-file-card-title">500 - structured summary</div><div class="kg-file-card-caption"></div><div class="kg-file-card-metadata"><div class="kg-file-card-filename">500 - structured summary.pdf</div><div class="kg-file-card-filesize">32 KB</div></div></div><div class="kg-file-card-icon"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24"><defs><style>.a{fill:none;stroke:currentColor;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-width:1.5px;}</style></defs><title>download-circle</title><polyline class="a" points="8.25 14.25 12 18 15.75 14.25"></polyline><line class="a" x1="12" y1="6.75" x2="12" y2="18"></line><circle class="a" cx="12" cy="12" r="11.25"></circle></svg></div></a></div><p>PS: this is me being me, and removing most AI filters between you and me. </p>