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Culture Highlights from PlatformCon 2024: Embracing the Mindset for Platform Success

· 10 min read
Victor Ikeme
Victor Ikeme
Platform Engineer | Kubernetes | Cloud-Native Advocate | OSS | Technical Writer

PlatformCon 2024's "Culture" track underscored that successful platform engineering demands more than just technical prowess; it requires a collaborative, user-centric, and inclusive mindset. Experts shared strategies for building trust, driving adoption, and fostering positive team dynamics to maximize the impact of platform initiatives.

Key Culture Sessions: Cultivating a Thriving Platform Ecosystem​

1. Scaling Platform Teams with Product Thinking:

April Lea (REA Group) demonstrated how applying product management principles to platform teams fosters both innovation and stability during scaling.

2. Driving Successful Platform Adoption:

Kaspar von Grünberg (Humanitec) shared practical strategies and key lessons learned from both successful and unsuccessful platform initiatives, emphasizing that a platform's true value lies in its user adoption.

3. Building Trust and Driving Adoption Through Internal Platform Champions:

Cansu Kavili Örnek (Red Hat) and Anna Ciula (Platform Coach) provided actionable strategies for fostering trust and engagement with stakeholders, showcasing the critical role of "champions" in driving adoption.

4. The Value of Diversity: Why Women Should Choose Platform Engineering:

Swarna Mani (Rithum) highlighted the vital contributions of women in platform engineering, advocating for diversity and providing strategies to overcome barriers and foster innovation.

5. Cultural Shifts for Successful Platform Adoption:

Ama Asare (Thoughtworks) identified common cultural pitfalls in IDP adoption and outlined necessary mindset shifts for a more inclusive and supportive platform culture.

6. The Power of Invisibility: Designing for Developer Autonomy:

Punit Lad (Thoughtworks) introduced the concept of "invisible" platform engineering, where seamlessly integrated services empower developers with autonomy and ease of use.

7. User-Centric Design: Building Cultural Blueprints for Enhanced DevEx:

Karla Rodriguez (Customer Experience Lead) illustrated how a user-centric design approach improves the developer experience (DevEx), fostering a positive and collaborative platform culture.

8. The Evolving Role of QA in SRE and SLOs:

Ludovico Besana explored the evolving role of QA within Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and Service Level Objectives (SLOs), highlighting the need for cultural adaptation toward automation and integration.

9. From Infrastructure to Platforms: A Cultural Pivot for Enhanced DevEx:

Markus Eisele explained the necessary cultural shift from an infrastructure-centric to a platform-centric approach, emphasizing the positive impact on developer experience.

10. Product-Based Approach for Platform Teams:

Stéphane Di Cesare (DKB) demonstrated how adopting product management principles enables platform engineering teams to become more user-focused and deliver greater value.

11. Driving Cultural Change with DORA Metrics: A Sanofi Case Study:

Josh Edney (Sanofi) shared how using DORA metrics within Backstage spurred cultural change and improved workflow efficiency.

12. Broadening the Scope: Platform Engineering Beyond Internal Developer Portals:

Atulpriya Sharma & Vishal Biyani (InfraCloud) challenged the narrow view of platform engineering as solely focused on IDPs, urging a broader perspective on platform goals and impacts.

13. The Mandatory Platform Debate: Fostering Buy-in Without Enforcement:

Alexander Kaserbacher & Kim Nena Duggen (embarc) explored the benefits and drawbacks of mandatory versus voluntary platform adoption, providing strategies for creating a culture of buy-in.

14. Prioritizing Problem Solving: Platform Engineering Beyond the Platform Itself:

Chris Stephenson (Humanitec) argued that platform engineering should prioritize solving real developer problems rather than simply building platforms for their own sake.

15. Addressing Common Platform Team Challenges:

Marco Pierobon & Marisa Martín Serrano (Thoughtworks Spain) highlighted common platform team challenges (tool misalignment, culture clashes) and proposed practical solutions for improving teamwork and efficiency.

16. Maintaining Focus: A Practical Schedule for Platform Teams:

Sasa Kovacevic (Munich Re Automation Solutions) shared a sample schedule template outlining key activities to help platform teams maintain focus, productivity, and avoid miscommunication.

17. The Enduring Importance of DevOps:

Ricardo Castro (FanDuel/Blip.pt) emphasized that DevOps remains a critical element, positioning platform engineering as a complementary, not replacement, approach.

18. Measuring Platform Success with DORA Metrics:

Nathen Harvey (Google Cloud) applied DORA research to platform engineering, identifying key metrics for validating impact and tracking progress over time.

19. Balancing Velocity and Safety in Platform Engineering:

Leon Rosenshein (Aurora) discussed improving developer velocity without compromising safety, particularly relevant for high-stakes applications.

20. Elevating DevEx Through Platform Product Management:

Charidimos Chaintoutis (Criteo) shared strategies for enhancing DevEx through platform product management, emphasizing the importance of user-centric practices.

21. Simplifying Development: Reducing Complexity with Platform Engineering:

Andrew Boyagi (Atlassian) illustrated how IDPs can significantly reduce developer complexity, enabling a focus on building value.

22. The Relationship Between Platform Engineering and DevOps:

Luca Galante (Humanitec) examined the relationship between platform engineering and DevOps, concluding that while distinct, they are complementary approaches.

23. Guidance for Aspiring Platform Engineers:

Luca Galante (Humanitec) offered practical guidance for those interested in entering the field of platform engineering.

24. The Critical Role of Infrastructure Teams in Platform Engineering:

Kaspar von Grünberg (Humanitec) highlighted the importance of including infrastructure teams in platform engineering efforts for a truly inclusive and effective platform culture.

PlatformCon 2024's "Culture" track powerfully demonstrated that successful platform engineering requires a holistic approach, encompassing collaboration, user-centricity, and a commitment to building a supportive and inclusive team environment. These sessions provided invaluable insights and practical strategies for fostering a culture where platforms can truly thrive.

Culture Highlights from PlatformCon 2024: Embracing the Mindset for Platform Success

The Culture track at PlatformCon 2024 was rich with insights into the collaborative, user-centered, and inclusive mindsets essential to successful platform engineering. With a focus on building trust, promoting adoption, and evolving team dynamics, experts shared strategies for transforming how teams approach platform initiatives. Here’s a look at the highlights from these thought-provoking sessions.

Culture Sessions: Key Takeaways and Strategies​

  1. Scaling Platform Teams with Product - How Does It Work?!

    • Speaker: April Lea, REA Group
    • Description: Lea explored applying product management practices to platform teams, emphasizing how scaling platform teams with a traditional product team structure can drive both innovation and stability.

  2. Driving Platform Adoption: The Right Way

    • Speaker: Kaspar von Grünberg, Humanitec
    • Description: Grünberg addressed the challenges of platform adoption, sharing lessons learned from successful platform initiatives and emphasizing that a platform’s value lies in its adoption by users.

  3. Internal Platform Champions: Build Trust, Drive Adoption

    • Speakers: Cansu Kavili Örnek, Red Hat & Anna Ciula, Platform Coach
    • Description: This session provided practical tips for fostering trust and engagement with platform stakeholders, positioning “champions” as key drivers for successful adoption.

  4. Why Women Should Choose Platform Engineering

    • Speaker: Swarna Mani, Rithum
    • Description: Mani highlighted the value of women in platform engineering, advocating for diversity and offering strategies to overcome barriers and drive meaningful innovation.

  5. Cultural Shifts to Adopt When You Start Your Platform Journey

    • Speaker: Ama Asare, Thoughtworks
    • Description: Asare shared common cultural missteps seen in organizations adopting IDPs and suggested shifts in mindset that promote a more inclusive and supportive platform culture.

  6. "Invisible" Platform Engineering

    • Speaker: Punit Lad, Thoughtworks
    • Description: Lad introduced the concept of “invisible” platform engineering, where teams create platform services that allow developers complete autonomy, ownership, and ease of use.

  7. Cultural Blueprints of User-Centric Platforms

    • Speaker: Karla Rodriguez, Customer Experience Lead
    • Description: Rodriguez illustrated how a user-centric approach to platform design enhances the developer experience (DevEx), helping to create a positive, collaborative platform culture.

  8. Embracing the Shift: QA's Evolution in the SRE and SLO Landscape

    • Speaker: Ludovico Besana
    • Description: This session examined QA’s evolving role within Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and Service Level Objectives (SLOs), underlining the importance of cultural shifts toward automation and integration.

  9. When All You Have Is Infrastructure, Everything Looks Like a Platform

    • Speaker: Markus Eisele
    • Description: Eisele explained the cultural pivot needed to transition from an infrastructure-focused approach to one centered on platforms, highlighting the impact on DevEx.

  10. Helping a Platform Team Focused on Engineering to Switch to a Product-Based Approach

    • Speaker: Stéphane Di Cesare, DKB
    • Description: Di Cesare demonstrated how adopting product management principles can help platform engineering teams become more user-focused and deliver greater value.

  11. Unlocking Potential with DORA Metrics: How a Simple Plugin is Driving Cultural Change at Sanofi

    • Speaker: Josh Edney, Sanofi
    • Description: Edney discussed how using DORA metrics within Backstage helped Sanofi’s teams drive cultural change and improve workflow efficiency across the organization.

  12. Is Platform Engineering Only About Internal Developer Portals? Think Again.

    • Speakers: Atulpriya Sharma & Vishal Biyani, InfraCloud
    • Description: This talk challenged the misconception that platform engineering is limited to IDPs, encouraging teams to broaden their understanding of platform goals and impacts.

  13. The Controversy: Should Platforms Be Mandatory?

    • Speakers: Alexander Kaserbacher & Kim Nena Duggen, embarc
    • Description: This debate explored both sides of making platform adoption mandatory or voluntary, providing insights into how organizations can create a culture of buy-in without enforcing strict adoption.

  14. Platform Engineering is Not About Platforms

    • Speaker: Chris Stephenson, Humanitec
    • Description: Stephenson unpacked the concept of platform engineering, arguing that the focus should be on solving real problems for developers rather than building platforms for the sake of it.

  15. The Challenges of Platform Teams (and How to Solve Them)

    • Speakers: Marco Pierobon & Marisa Martín Serrano, Thoughtworks Spain
    • Description: This session highlighted common issues platform teams face, from tool misalignment to culture clashes, and suggested practical solutions to improve teamwork and efficiency.

  16. Platform Team Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly Schedule!

    • Speaker: Sasa Kovacevic, Munich Re Automation Solutions
    • Description: Kovacevic shared a schedule template that outlines key activities for platform teams, helping them to maintain focus, productivity, and avoid miscommunications.

  17. DevOps is Not Dead. Not by a Long Shot

    • Speaker: Ricardo Castro, FanDuel/Blip.pt
    • Description: Castro argued that DevOps remains integral, positioning platform engineering as a complement to DevOps practices rather than a replacement.

  18. Mapping & Measuring: DORA's Perspective on Platform Engineering

    • Speaker: Nathen Harvey, Google Cloud
    • Description: Harvey applied DORA research to platform engineering, highlighting metrics that teams can use to validate impact and track platform success over time.

  19. Improving Developer Velocity in Safety-Critical Applications

    • Speaker: Leon Rosenshein, Aurora
    • Description: Rosenshein discussed how platform engineering strategies can improve developer velocity without compromising on safety, particularly for high-stakes applications like autonomous vehicles.

  20. Engineering Euphoria: Revolutionizing DevEx Through Platform Product Management

    • Speaker: Charidimos Chaintoutis, Criteo
    • Description: Chaintoutis shared strategies for enhancing DevEx through platform product management, stressing the role of user-centered practices in elevating developer satisfaction and productivity.

  21. Reduce Complexity, Improve Developer Experience with Platform Engineering

    • Speaker: Andrew Boyagi, Atlassian
    • Description: Boyagi covered how IDPs can reduce complexity for developers, allowing them to focus on building value rather than managing configurations and integrations.

  22. Platform Engineering: The DevOps Slayer?!

    • Speaker: Luca Galante, Humanitec
    • Description: Galante explored whether platform engineering is replacing DevOps, concluding that while complementary, platform engineering brings a new level of automation and structure.

  23. How to Become a Platform Engineer

    • Speaker: Luca Galante, Humanitec
    • Description: Galante provided guidance on entering the field of platform engineering, covering the latest best practices and essential resources, and announced new initiatives to support aspiring platform engineers.

  24. You’re Forgetting Infrastructure Platform Engineering… You Shouldn’t.

    • Speaker: Kaspar von Grünberg, Humanitec
    • Description: Grünberg highlighted the importance of infrastructure teams in platform engineering, urging organizations to consider a broader approach that includes Ops teams for a truly inclusive platform culture.

The Culture track at PlatformCon 2024 illustrated that successful platform engineering requires more than technical expertise—it calls for a culture of inclusivity, adaptability, and a commitment to user-focused principles. With actionable insights and compelling discussions, these sessions provided attendees with a roadmap for fostering a culture where platform engineering can thrive.