Kief Morris, author of 'Infrastructure as Code', and Abby Bangser discuss the evolution of IaC over the past decade. They explore the move from server configuration to complex cloud architectures, the limitations of current tooling, and the need for higher-level abstractions, while also looking ahead to the potential impact of AI and the critical role of platform engineering in connecting infrastructure to specific business needs.
Matt McLarty and Erik Wilde explore the blind spots in platform engineering, arguing that a narrow focus on developer velocity and toolchains overlooks the critical need for creating reusable, API-driven business capabilities that deliver tangible value and organizational optionality.
In this interview from GOTO Copenhagen 2024, Russ Miles, interviewed by Kevlin Henney, explores a human-centric approach to platform engineering, encapsulated by the phrase "Don't feed the pigeons." He advocates for focusing on desired behavioral changes and empowering creative work over doubling down on existing, suboptimal tools and processes. The discussion delves into using OODA loops, creating a developer "habitat," and the critical role of empathy and storytelling in understanding and improving complex sociotechnical systems.
Alex Ewerlöf, author of "Reliability Engineering Mindset," discusses the significant gap between Google's idealized SRE practices and the resource-constrained reality of most companies. The conversation focuses on making Service Level Objectives (SLOs) practical by tying Service Level Indicators (SLIs) directly to business impact, using them as a data-driven communication tool to negotiate reliability costs, and moving from a "best practice" to a "fit practice" mindset.
Russ Miles shares his deeply personal and professional journey to define the principles of effective internal developer platform engineering. He argues for a shift from a technology-first approach to 'compassionate technical product stewardship,' using powerful metaphors like the 'ski resort' to illustrate how platforms should create safe, empowering habitats for developers to thrive.
Randy Shoup, SVP of Engineering at Thrive Market, shares insights on architectural evolution, detailing the transition from monoliths to microservices, the principles of building effective platform engineering teams using DORA metrics, and how core distributed systems patterns have both endured and evolved.