← Archera
Archera role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
Software that cuts cloud bills with short-term commitments that Archera insures, so customers don't get stuck with unused spend.
Who you'd be calling
Head of FinOps, Cloud Cost Manager, VP Engineering, or Director of Cloud Infrastructure at companies with big AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud bills.
Your opener
“Hi [Name], this is [You] from Archera. I know I'm calling out of the blue. Do you have 30 seconds to hear why I'm calling about your cloud commitments?”
Problems you solve for them
- Long 1-3 year cloud commitments are risky if usage drops
- Cloud bills are high and hard to predict
- Teams leave discounts on the table because they fear overcommitting
Discovery questions to ask
- How do you decide today how much to commit on AWS or Azure?
- Have you ever bought a commitment and then had usage drop or change?
- Who owns cloud savings: finance, engineering, or a FinOps team?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm in the middle of something, I don't have time.”
→ Totally fair, I'll be quick. We help teams get commitment discounts without the lock-in risk. Can I grab 15 minutes later this week to explain?
“We're not interested.”
→ No problem. Most people say that before they hear it's about lowering risk, not adding a tool. Are you comfortable with how much commitment risk you carry today?
“We already use a tool for cloud costs.”
→ Good, that means cost is a priority for you. Most tools show you the spend, and we focus on making commitments safer to buy. Would it be worth seeing how that fits next to what you have?
“Just send me an email.”
→ Happy to. So I send you something useful, what's the biggest cloud cost headache for you right now? Then I'll follow up with a short note.
Competitors worth knowing
ProsperOps, Spot by NetApp
Interview tips for this company
- Learn the basic idea of a cloud commitment: you promise to spend a set amount for a discount, and you pay even if you use less.
- Be ready to explain 'insured commitments' in one simple sentence, like insurance for a discount contract.
Written from public information about Archera to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.