Platform as Product

Summary

This paper explores the concept of treating internal developer platforms as products rather than traditional IT infrastructure. By adopting a product mindset, organizations can better serve their developer communities and accelerate software delivery.

Key Topics Covered

• Product Thinking for Platforms: Moving from infrastructure thinking to product thinking for internal platforms
• Developer Experience: Focusing on the developer as the customer and optimizing their experience
• Platform Teams: Structuring teams to support platform products with clear ownership and accountability
• Metrics and Success: Measuring platform success through developer productivity and satisfaction metrics
• Continuous Improvement: Building feedback loops and iterative development processes for platforms

Key Insights

"Successful platforms are built with the same rigor and customer focus as external products, treating developers as valued customers whose productivity directly impacts business outcomes."

The paper provides practical guidance for platform teams transitioning from traditional IT operations to product-focused platform development, including organizational patterns, measurement strategies, and common pitfalls to avoid.

Target Audience

• Platform engineering leaders
• DevOps and infrastructure teams
• Engineering managers and executives
• Organizations implementing internal developer platforms