The problem is always around abuse. If it becomes known that you can get a big bonus by wasting a lot of money on useless infra first and then reducing it, other people will start playing the game.
How do you reward cloud cost awareness without creating perverse incentives?
It's always the same answer: managers who pay attention to the details. People familiar with your work should be able to tell if you're gaming the system or not.
How do you reward cloud cost awareness without creating perverse incentives?