Cloud spend had to match stage.
A peak monthly charge of US$1,581.83 was too heavy for a lean rewards platform.
Infrastructure migration case study
Cutting infrastructure cost by ~20x while keeping production stable.
At Rewards Bunny, I moved an expensive managed-cloud setup toward Hetzner, CapRover, and a local database architecture — reducing infrastructure cost by approximately 20x while keeping backups, DNS/SSL, Docker deployments, database integrity, and continuity in view.
The problem
The cloud setup was becoming disproportionate for the company’s stage. The goal was not just “move servers”; it was to preserve a live product while changing the cost base.
Reliability still mattered.
Cashback, attribution, merchant data, and user trust meant migration mistakes could not be treated casually.
Business and technical judgment met.
The decision required cost discipline, implementation fluency, and risk management rather than a purely technical preference.
Migration shape
A simplified public view of the before/after architecture. Sensitive project names, IPs, database names, and credentials are intentionally excluded.
Before
Managed cloud setup
GCPManaged DBHigher fixed costMore platform overhead
After
Lean controlled infrastructure
HetznerCapRoverDocker deploymentsLocal database architecture
Risk controls
This is the part that matters for Technical Product and Founder’s Office roles: controlling the migration, not merely choosing cheaper hosting.
Data integrityDatabase migration, validation mindset, backup discipline, and rollback awareness.
Service continuityDocker deployments, application migration, DNS/SSL cutover, and production troubleshooting.
Cost ownershipTranslated a technical infrastructure decision into a business outcome: approximately 20x cost reduction.
Operational judgmentBalanced immediate savings against maintainability, reliability, support load, and startup constraints.
“The outcome was cost reduction; the actual work was risk-managed execution.”
What this work demonstrates: technical judgment and risk-managed execution under real operating constraints.What this demonstrates
Capabilities evidenced through the migration’s technical, commercial, and operating decisions.
Can reason about systems tradeoffs.
APIs, databases, deployments, DNS/SSL, cloud cost, reliability, and production constraints.
Can own ambiguous cost/risk projects.
Frames the business problem, chooses a practical path, and drives execution.
Can turn cost pressure into operating leverage.
Not just analysis — implementation, coordination, and verification.
Understands the operating layer behind products.
Useful for roles connecting automation, workflows, infrastructure, and business outcomes.