Lightning Talks #2: Why Kubernetes Costs More Than You Expect

Kubernetes promises scalability, flexibility, and resilience, but many teams are surprised by how quickly costs grow once they move to production.

In this Lightning Talk, we’ll break down why Kubernetes often costs more than expected, not because it’s inefficient, but because of how it’s designed and commonly used.

What we’ll cover:

• Common Kubernetes cost misconceptions

• Hidden cost drivers (nodes, networking, storage, observability, idle resources)

• Why “small workloads” can still be expensive

• Real-world mistakes teams make in early clusters

• Practical mindset shifts for cost-aware Kubernetes usage

This session is conceptual, fast-paced, and beginner-friendly, designed to help engineers, architects, and decision-makers better understand the business side of Kubernetes.

Hosted by CNCF Jordan.