But once we dig deeper, the real motivations become clearer. Behind the surface reasons, we consistently find three big drivers:
Expectations vs. Reality
CTOs (and their teams) often start the migration journey with assumptions. These expectations are understandable, but they rarely align with reality. Here's how they typically evolve:
What AWS Replaces
The Broader Wins
Why AWS (and Not X)?
The companies we help have often started elsewhere — private hosting, niche clouds, or cobbled-together environments across multiple providers. They move to AWS not because of one killer feature, but because it excels in a combination of traits:
How the Decision Happens
The decision to move to AWS is rarely a calm, top-down strategy. More often, it starts with a moment of pain or change:
When AWS Might Not Fit
After They Move
Once the migration is done, the feedback is remarkably consistent: