EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
Focus on quality of the platform engineering products . Products that fail or error out when developers use them cost more time than they save . Automated testing of platform engineering products helps you insure that defects aren ’ t introduced when enhancements to those products are made .
What approaches can platform engineers take to secure executive support for platform initiatives and align them with business outcomes ?
Align with business objectives . Connect the platform to organizational goals like faster innovation , cost efficiency , and market growth . Highlight its impact on developer productivity and business outcomes .
Frame the platform as a business enabler . Show how the platform reduces time-to-market , scales efficiently , and boosts customer satisfaction . Link it to revenue growth and cost savings .
Use metrics to tell the story . Quantify pain points like long deployment times and project improvements like increased deployment frequency ). Compare current performance with industry benchmarks .
Demonstrate quick wins . Launch pilot projects to showcase early success and build momentum . Use tangible results to justify scaling the initiative .
How do reference architectures and blueprints contribute to the standardization and efficiency of Internal Developer Platforms ?
Reference architectures and blueprints help by establishing consistent standards . They help ensure that all teams follow secure , scalable , and reliable patterns by enforcing best practices and uniform approaches , reducing variability and technical debt .
Reference architectures and blueprints accelerate development and deployment . they provide reusable , pre-configured templates that simplify workflows and enable faster provisioning and deployment through self-service capabilities .
Reference architectures and blueprints have scalability and reliability built-in . They use validated , scalable , and fault-tolerant patterns to minimize operational risks and ensure reliability across deployments .
Reference architectures and blueprints simplify developer onboarding . They enable new developers to start quickly with ready-to-use templates , reducing cognitive load and time to productivity . This helps increase the value of the overall developer experience .
What skills and certifications are becoming essential for platform engineers , and how do these trends align with the rising salaries in the field ?
Platform engineers should possess advanced cloud computing skills , particularly at a solutions architect level , along with a strong background in infrastructure as code ( IaC ). This includes proficiency in cloud platforms like AWS , Azure or Google Cloud Platform ( GCP ), and expertise with IaC tools such as Terraform , CloudFormation or Pulumi .
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