For years, organizations rushed into multi-cloud strategies hoping to reduce vendor lock-in, improve reliability, or cut costs. Instead, many ended up with ballooning complexity, scattered tools, and unpredictable bills.

Where Multi-Cloud Went Wrong

1. Tool fragmentation — Each cloud provider has its own services and interfaces.
2. Skill shortages — Few engineers master two or more clouds.
3. Cost unpredictability — Multiple pricing models create confusion.
4. Governance gaps — Policies don’t translate cleanly between platforms.
5. Security inconsistencies — Multiple identity systems create risk.

When Multi-Cloud Does Make Sense

• Resilience and disaster recovery
• Geographic distribution
• Performance optimization
• Specialized services (e.g., AI, analytics)

Successful Multi-Cloud Approaches

1. Use cloud-agnostic tooling like Kubernetes and Terraform.
2. Centralize identity and access management.
3. Create a unified observability layer.
4. Adopt a platform engineering mindset.
5. Set clear ownership for each cloud resource.

With the right strategy, multi-cloud can still deliver on its promise — but it requires discipline, automation, and strong architectural planning.