Imagine that you are following your dream of creating the most popular application that will hit the market soon. Still, instead of working on revolutionary ideas, you spend time and effort dealing with complicated infrastructure and tools. Sounds familiar? Welcome to the so-called ‘over-general swamp’ of today’s software development—a world where creativity gets buried under excessive complexity. But there is no need to panic. There is one who comes to the rescue: There is a concept called platform engineering.
The Problem: Too Much Glue, Too Little Focus
Let’s begin with some bad news. In the last 25 years, the software industry has grown to an abundance of options—cloud, OSS, and tools. These changes have changed the face of development for the better, but at the same time, they have made simplicity a thing of the past. Every team looks forward to the launch of the new feature and therefore rushes to put integration or what they call ‘glue’ to ensure that all the systems are well connected. It’s fast, but it’s only a matter of time before the glue sets, cracks, and makes it impossible to make any changes in the future. Eventually, your teams are swamped by the never-ending maintenance tasks, and they are slowly coming to a halt. Then, how do you break through these thickets?
Enter Platform Engineering: The Great Unsticker
Platform engineering is not just a trend; it is a change in approach. Let’s consider platforms as the internal products that are the backbone of your teams and are presented to them as sleek, well-polished products despite being complex.
Here’s the magic:
- Abstraction: Platforms simplify workflows by hiding the details from the users.
- Leveraging: A small platform team creates tools that empower everyone else.
- Customer Focus: Platforms are built with one person in mind: the engineer.
Instead of creating solutions, each team leverages the same set of well-chosen instruments. Therefore, there is less “duct tape,” more velocity, and happier developers.
Why Old Solutions Fell Flat
We’ve tried solving this problem before, but here’s why those efforts didn’t stick:
- Centralized Teams: They often became disconnected from users, delivering tools nobody liked.
- Autonomy Overload: Giving every team free rein led to fragmented architectures, overworked engineers, and even more glue.
Platform engineering finds the balance—centralized expertise with decentralized usability.
Platforms vs. DevOps: A Natural Evolution
Recall the time when DevOps was painted as the ultimate solution. The thought was that development and operations should be integrated, and this new concept called DevOps would facilitate this. However, it created teams that had to deal with the complicated infrastructure structure rather than develop outstanding software.
Platform engineering takes it a step further. It enhances the concept of pooling expertise into dedicated teams so that each developer does not have to be an infrastructure expert. It allows developers to concentrate on their core function, which is the development of software.
But Wait, Won’t Platforms Kill Innovation?
This is a valid concern. Platforms can seem like the fun police, limiting choices to a curated set of tools. But here’s the deal: good platforms support rapid experimentation within their boundaries and allow teams to break the rules when the situation demands it.
Sometimes, you’ll need to go off-platform to explore the unknown. Competent platform teams know when to step aside and let innovation happen—even if it means temporarily bending the rules.
The Payoff: From Swamp to Speedboat
Platform engineering isn’t just about managing complexity; it’s about unlocking potential. Here’s what you get:
- Faster Delivery: Developers spend less time dealing with glue and more time shipping features.
- Easier Maintenance: Standardized tools mean fewer headaches when things inevitably change.
- Happier Teams: Developers love working with systems that just work.
And yes, there’s still room for wild ideas. Platforms don’t need to crush creativity; they can channel it.
Ready to Escape the Swamp?
The so-called over-general swamp cannot be improved. Complexity is increasing, but platform engineering is the way to go. Thus, by treating platforms as internal products and paying attention to your teams’ needs, you will be able to transform the confusion and slow advancement into a straightforward strategy.
It is not always simple, but neither is anything in life that is truly worthwhile. If you are willing to step back and see how platform engineering can benefit your organization, then you will benefit from faster development times, better operations, and even innovation.
So, what are you waiting for? To build your platform?
If you are planning to learn more about platform engineering, do checkout resources here.
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