OPUS Peer-led: Cloud Wars: How to Choose the Right Provider for Your Startup’s Next Leap
Choosing the right cloud provider is one of the most critical, and potentially costly, decisions for any startup or scale-up founder. With the cloud landscape evolving rapidly and over 30 major vendors now competing for your business, the stakes have never been higher.
This session, “Cloud Wars: How to Choose the Right Provider for Your Startup’s Next Leap,” hosted by OPUS member James Marks, will cut through the hype and complexity to help founders make informed, strategic choices that align with their growth ambitions and technical needs. We’ll explore the eight essential criteria every founder should consider, from cost transparency and contract flexibility to security, compliance, and migration support.
You’ll learn why timing your selection matters, how to avoid common pitfalls like vendor lock-in, and how to benchmark providers not just on price, but on their ability to support your roadmap. Whether you’re building AI products, scaling globally, or burning through credits at record speed. Expect practical frameworks, real-world examples, and actionable insights drawn from Canopy’s experience negotiating top cloud deals for high-growth companies.
This session is designed to be interactive and engaging, founder Q&A, and scenario-based discussions to ensure you leave with the confidence and tools to make the cloud work for your business today and as you scale
This session is hybrid!