N+1 ways to sink your platform

Software development is expensive. Companies of all sizes are trying to get more from their developers. One thing every company reaches for comes by many names, but it is often called “The Platform Team”. The job of the platform team is to chart the course to production and safeguard teams as they ship. The platform they build enables teams to deliver value at the rate the business demands.

I have been a senior member of many platform teams and I can tell you it rarely makes for smooth sailing. It tempts engineers with interesting challenges before running them aground against expectations. It offers the chance to grow their impact before ramming them against the rocks of compromise.

This talk will go over what to expect when attempting the platform play, and how you can prevent your team from going overboard.