Workshop: Auditing Your Kubernetes Costs in 30 Minutes

What We'll Build By the end of this workshop, you'll have a concrete cost audit of your Kubernetes cluster — actual utilization numbers, a cost-per-value ratio, and a clear action plan. You'll either right-size what you have or know it's time to migrate to something simpler. Let me show you a pattern I use in every infrastructure engagement: the three-signal framework that tells you whether your cluster is earning its keep. Prerequisites A running Kubernetes cluster (EKS, GKE, or AKS) kubectl configured and pointed at your cluster Access to your cloud billing dashboard ~30 minutes of uninterrupted time Step 1: Measure Actual Resource Utilization Run this right now: kubectl top nodes Write down the CPU and memory percentages for each node. If your average CPU utilization is below 30%, you're over-provisioned. Most startup clusters I audit sit at 12–18%. That means you're paying for five nodes and using one. Step 2: Calculate Your Cost-Per-Value Ratio Pull your monthly infrastructure bil