The Truth
Everyone expects you to win. You have all the support in the world. The CEO loves you. The board is bullish. But privately, you see what they don't: every deal competes against “we'll just build on AWS.”
It's not your platform. It's market gravity. AWS (31%), Azure (25%), and GCP (11%) own 66% of cloud infrastructure. Hyperscaler capex will exceed $600B in 2026, with 75% going directly to AI infrastructure. The default answer is always the hyperscaler.
You can't admit this vulnerability publicly because it would shatter the image. But you know the truth: you win when you land early and expand fast. The hyperscaler always threatens to take over later.
AWS, Azure, GCP control 66% of cloud. "We'll just build on AWS" is always on the table.
You won the initial deal, but the hyperscaler is positioning to take over as usage scales.
Buyers compare your per-unit costs to hyperscaler pricing, without understanding the value difference.
Buyers are scared to commit. They don't want to get locked into another proprietary platform.
Each department wants their own POC. Dev, Ops, Security, Compliance: everyone needs to sign off.
Buyers want to avoid lock-in by going multi-cloud. Your platform becomes one of many, not the platform.
FinOps has entered the chat. Every platform decision is scrutinized for cost efficiency first.
Technical stakeholders see your value. Financial stakeholders see line items. Alignment takes months.
The Challenge
Engineering wants to evaluate you. But the cloud architect already has AWS credits. Finance is comparing your pricing to hyperscaler consumption rates. And everyone knows migrating later is easier than committing now.
The platform decision involves everyone. DevOps, Security, Finance, Engineering, and increasingly the CIO. Each with different priorities, and each with the hyperscaler as their safe default.
These stakeholders don't see your differentiation. They see switching costs. And the switching cost of using AWS is zero because they're already there.
Then
Dev Team → POC → Expand
Land and expand worked • Own the workload
Now
POC → “Let's compare to AWS” → Hyperscaler default
$600B competitor • Default always wins
The New Reality
Your platform is genuinely better for the workload. Engineering sees it. The POC proved it. But the deal still goes to “let's just use what we already have.”
The problem isn't your technology. It's that you're not selling to the right stakeholders early enough. By the time finance compares pricing, it's already over.
The default answer is always the hyperscaler. Your differentiation has to overcome a $600B/year competitor.
You won the initial deal, but the hyperscaler is positioning to take over as usage scales.
Your buyers compare your per-unit costs to hyperscaler pricing, without understanding the value difference.
Buyers are scared to commit because they don't want to get locked into another proprietary platform.
A New Solution
New problems require new solutions. Your CRM tracks opportunities. Your sales tools find developers. But neither shows you how to win against the hyperscaler default.
You need to land earlier, with the right stakeholders, before “just use AWS” becomes the answer.
Introducing
Adrata uses AI to do two things: find the entire buyer group and understand each person's #1 priority. Engineering, DevOps, security, finance, the CIO, all mapped and understood.
Not titles, but influence. Find the developers who will champion you, the architects who will evaluate you, and the finance stakeholders who will compare you to hyperscaler pricing.
See the hyperscaler threat early. Know when AWS or Azure is positioning, who's pushing for the default option, and how to counter before it's too late.
Position for expansion from day one. Understand who needs to approve scaling, what usage thresholds trigger reviews, and how to secure the workload before the hyperscaler takes over.
This is Buyer Group Intelligence. Win the platform decision before the default wins.
Buyer Group Mapping
Adrata automatically maps everyone who influences infrastructure decisions. Developers, architects, DevOps, security, finance: the full committee that decides where workloads run.
Lead with multi-cloud portability. Show AWS integration, not competition. Emphasize cost transparency.
Deep Understanding
Go beyond job titles. Understand each stakeholder's existing cloud relationships, their vendor preferences, and what would make them choose you over the hyperscaler default.
Accelerate Deals
Platform decisions are won or lost early. Know who's pushing for the hyperscaler default, engage the right stakeholders first, and position for expansion from day one.
Position as AWS complement, not replacement. Show Kubernetes portability and multi-cloud cost optimization.
Lead with consumption transparency. Show how customers reduced cloud spend 40% vs hyperscaler-only.
Map the platform decision. Position against the default. Win before the hyperscaler does.
AI finds the buyer group. Your team wins the platform.