Monitoring in the cloud requires specific best practices due to its dynamic and distributed nature, despite the availability of numerous solutions. The text emphasizes simplifying monitoring operations by choosing easy-to-use tools and applying principles like KISS and YAGNI to reduce complexity and maintenance. Instrumentation is crucial for exposing relevant metrics, and leveraging provider-hosted solutions can be beneficial for automated infrastructure monitoring. It highlights the importance of seamless integration with existing service discovery tools and the need for scalability without complicating infrastructure. Alerts should be actionable to avoid unnecessary noise, and avoiding vendor lock-in is crucial for flexibility. Establishing a monitoring system early on, even in a simple form, is recommended to prevent outages and improve business agility by aligning monitoring efforts with business requirements.