The 2023 State of Cloud Strategy Survey, conducted by HashiCorp and Forrester Consulting, reveals that organizations with higher cloud maturity levels are more likely to derive better business outcomes from their cloud efforts. High-maturity companies are more committed to using operational best practices, which leads to increased security, compliance, and availability, as well as improved talent attraction and retention. These organizations also tend to use multi-cloud strategies more effectively, reducing waste and increasing cost savings. The survey found that high-maturity respondents were more likely to report increases in cloud spending, while low-maturity companies struggled with over-provisioning resources, idle or underused resources, and lack of needed skills. Overall, the survey suggests that operational best practices are key to unlocking the full potential of cloud adoption.