Third Time's the Charm: How MGM Finally Cracked SaaS with FinOps

After several attempts to launch a successful SaaS Management program, TJ Johnson recognized that the FinOps approach needed to shift. As Lead Architect for Platform Economics at MGM Resorts International, he shares how starting with visibility—before diving into optimization—helped his team finally gain traction. In this episode, you’ll learn the mindset change that made the difference, how to pick the right starting point, and what it really takes to make FinOps work for SaaS.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to FinOps and SaaS Challenges

01:51 Building a Software Management Program at MGM

05:46 Tactics, Data, and Prioritization

09:00 Implementing a New Software Intake Processes

11:48 Standardizing Data with FinOps FOCUS

14:39 Understanding the Differences Between Cloud and SaaS

17:54 Evolving FinOps Practices for SaaS

19:10 Making the Most of the FinOps Community

21:09 Closing Thoughts