Why Cloud Architects?

WE execute the same processes and provide the same value to our clients

A Cloud Architect's value is in helping a business design, implement, monitor and protect a transition of their business' operations to the cloud.  Their work doesn't end after they've successfully migrated operations to the cloud.  They, and their team of engineers, need to monitor the technological system for efficiency, address issues and implement solutions on an on-going basis.  They also need to protect the systems from outside threats.  All the while, they need to be able to communicate with the business decision-maker as to the business' benefits and also know how to speak technically with their team of engineers and other specialists.  

Wealth Advisors execute a very similar process.  Our Cloud WealthMapping Framework accomplishes the design, implementation, monitoring and protection of a family's life goals over a lifetime.  We too, also need to be able to communicate the benefits to the decision-maker(s) in a way that they can understand so that they can make educated decisions.  Wealth Advisors also need to have the technical know-how to execute the financial framework.  

In addition to the above, we both need to keep pace with an always changing technological and financial world.

The main difference is that a wealth advisor's framework is designed to enhance family goals by transitioning to a better financial framework rather than enhancing business goals by transitioning to a better technological system.  

WE know when to collaborate and bring in the right specialist

Additionally, just as a Cloud Architect needs to understand when the right time is to bring in a specialist to help solve a technological problem, we too need to know when the right time is to bring in a tax, legal, benefits, risk management, and other specialists.

WE see the bigger picture

A Cloud Architect needs to possess the ability to view a problem and its potential solutions from a higher vantage point.  To be able to zoom out and assess the big picture,..... but also to be able to dig in and understand the detail. 

Wealth advisors also need to be able to look at your financial framework from a higher vantage point and to assess the bigger picture.  However, we also need to be able to identify when we need to dig into the details and be able to communicate those details to the family decision-makers.  Just as a client of a Cloud Architect is typically not a technology expert, our client relationships are not financial experts.  I pride myself on find the balance between simplifying complex financial decisions, but also providing the appropriate amount of detail for my clients.

We each understand how we can add value to a technological and a financial framework so that our clients are in a better position than they were before they implemented the system or framework that we design. 

OUR compensation for our services align

Cloud Architects, and their companies, may lose a contract if their solutions aren't putting their clients in a better position prior to transitioning to their technological system.  Their system may be putting their client's business in a better position, but they may also lose the client if that value is not effectively communicated. 

We mainly choose to work with clients on an advisory basis where our clients pay us on-going as long as they are happy with our services and see the benefit that they receive by working with us.  If they choose to go another direction, we're no longer compensated. 

Both, Cloud Architects and Wealth Advisors, are incented to understand our client's problems, continually attempt to improve our client's progress toward their goals, to address their risks along the way and to effectively communicate with them. If we don't, we no longer get compensated for the investment of our time and our resources.  Both, Cloud Architects and Wealth Advisors, are at risk that our clients terminate our services if we're not providing all of the above.

Challenges specific to the cloud industry

Demand-Supply Dynamics Causing Shortages

The pandemic has accelerated corporate America's transition to the cloud.  There's a shortage of cloud professionals to meet the corporate demand. This shortage is resulting in cloud professionals having to work extra-ordinarily long hours in order to meet client deadlines. 

Work/Home Life Balance

The time demands on Cloud Architects puts stress on the ability for families to keep a healthy work/life balance.  Yes, you can outsource certain household functions to gain balance back (i.e. landscaping, lawn maintenance, etc....), but some households are being forced to delay discussions and making decisions about important issues with regard to the household finances.  Doing so has the potential to expose their financial framework's lack of monitoring and protecting of family goals.  Risks and opportunities are not waiting for when it's a good time for us.  Just like Cloud Architects believe that a technological system needs on-going monitoring and protecting, I believe their financial framework does as well.  

Career Advancement Through Job Transitions

According to a survey from TalentLMS & Workable (published by TheDailyShot.com on December 7, 2021), 72% of technology employees are thinking of quitting their job or exploring other job opportunities in the next 12 months.  41% of them would be quitting because limited career progression and 40% would be quitting due to lack of flexibility in working hours.  Sometimes a career transition is deciding upon to go with another company or consult on your own.  Sometimes the opportunities may be to join a big public firm and get more stock option or grant compensation versus stay private and getting salary and bonuses.  Each potential avenue has its own various benefits and detractors to evaluate in order to assess which option may make the most sense for your specific scenario.  Having clients and relationships that work in various structures with varying compensation packages, we can help you identify what opportunities you might have and also to evaluate the total compensation package that maps best to your goals.  We also work with tax specialists to assess the tax ramifications of each package.  Hopefully giving you more confidence in whatever decision that you make and knowing how it impacts your goals. 

Shortage of Financial Advisors

There are a limited number of advisory firms that target working with engineers.  Engineers usually demand services that I'm passionate about providing.  I enjoy digging into the details when necessary to help our clients get comfortable with the decision points about a problem or a solution. I enjoy the process of designing a plan alongside of my clients and their other advisors.  I strive to make sure that my clients understand the details of their problems, the attributes to the solutions to them and the impact on their goals so that clients understand why their investment, tax, risk management, estate, work benefit, cashflow and retirement plans are setup the way they are. 

There is a fair amount of work in satisfying a detail-oriented client. If an advisory firm's framework is not setup to provide the information and experience that a detail-oriented client demands, satisfying them can become inefficient and potentially unprofitable.  Unlike most other financial advisory firms that are looking to work with anyone that has wealth, I focus our firm's resources on surrounding Cloud Architects with a framework that they're familiar with so that they can confidently enhance their personal goals.

It's who we attract

Over 20+ years, our client relationships have been attracted to us by word of mouth.  So naturally, our client relationships will be representative of who appreciates our Cloud WealthMapping framework and the way we execute it.  Most of our client relationships tend to:

- prefer to process information visually, as well as verbally,

- be logical thinkers (1+1 does not equal 3),

- appreciate a design, implement, on-going monitoring and protection process,

- understand that the highest quality of information to solve problems is by collaborating with specialists and making decisions based on the information received,

- appreciate understanding the details, when necessary,

These traits (among others) are common to Cloud Architects.

Cloud Architects   l   Life Goals   l   Peace of Mind