10 Platform Product Evolution

 

This chapter covers

  • Measuring the success of your platform organization.
  • How platforms as products are a differentiation in your platform evolution.
  • Intelligent assistants
  • Internal developer platforms and products.

In the dynamic world of software development, organizations are continually seeking ways to accelerate delivery, improve reliability, and enhance the developer experience. As companies grow and their software ecosystems become more complex, an effective platform strategy becomes critical. This chapter explores the evolution of platform products, focusing on how treating platforms as products can be a differentiator and how measuring success, embracing cultural shifts, and leveraging modern tools and methodologies can drive organizational success.

We'll revisit our favorite company, Epetech, which we've discussed throughout the book, to illustrate these concepts in practice. Epetech's journey from a monolithic application to a microservices architecture highlights the challenges and opportunities in evolving platform products, providing practical insights into how organizations can navigate similar transitions.

10.1 Measuring the success of your platform organization

Now that you have embarked on a platform journey and have started seeing some improvements, it is essential to measure your progress. As we have discussed, evolving your platform to the next level almost always requires knowing your progress.

10.1.1 The Platform Value Model

10.1.2 Epetech's Approach to Measurement

10.1.3 Implementing Feedback Loops

10.2 Platform as Product as the Differentiator

10.2.1 Defining the Platform Vision and Mission

10.2.2 Establishing a Product Roadmap

10.2.3 Implementing Agile Practices

10.2.4 The Role of the Platform Product Manager

10.2.5 Differentiating Through User Experience

10.3 Cultural Shift from a Traditional Operations World

10.3.1 Embracing DevOps Cultural Principles

10.3.2 Breaking Down Silos with Team Topologies

10.3.3 Impact on Epetech's Culture

10.3.4 Exercise 10.6: Planning a Cultural Shift Towards DevOps and Collaboration

10.4 SRE Strategy, Models, and Aligning with Organizational Needs

10.4.1 Understanding Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)

10.4.2 Implementing SRE at Epetech

10.4.3 Aligning SRE with Organizational Goals

10.4.4 Outcomes of implementing SRE

10.5 Intelligent Assistants to Help Enhance Engineering Platforms

10.5.1 The Role of Intelligent Assistants

10.5.2 Epetech's EpetechBot

10.5.3 Exploring Advanced Tools

10.6 Comparing Internal Developer Platforms and Developer Portals

10.6.1 Understanding Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs)

10.6.2 Understanding Developer Portals

10.6.3 Comparing and Contrasting

10.7 Outcomes from Building the Platform Products

10.7.1 Key Takeaways from Epetech's Journey

10.7.2 Benefits Realized by Epetech

10.8 Summary