Platform Engineering for Architects: Crafting modern platforms as a product

Design and build Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs) with future-oriented design strategies, using the Platform as a Product mindset

Key Features
Comprehensive guide to designing platforms that create value and drive user adoption
Expert insights on shifting to a product-centric mindset for architects and platform teams
Best practices for managing platform complexity, reducing technical debt, and ensuring continuous evolution
Book Description
As technology evolves, IT talent shortages and system complexity make it essential to have structured guidance for building scalable, user-focused platforms. This book provides platform engineers and architects with practical strategies to develop internal development platforms that enhance software delivery and operations.

You’ll learn how to identify end users, understand their needs, and define platform goals with a focus on self-service solutions for cloud-native environments. Using real-world examples, the book demonstrates how to build platforms within and for the cloud, leveraging Kubernetes. It also explores the benefits of a product-centric approach to platform engineering, emphasizing early end-user involvement and flexible design principles that adapt to future requirements.

Additionally, the book covers techniques for maintaining a sustainable platform while minimizing technical debt. By the end, you’ll have the knowledge to design, define, and implement platform capabilities that align with your organization’s goals.

What you will learn
Make informed decisions aligned with your organization's platform needs
Identify missing platform capabilities and manage that technical debt effectively
Develop critical user journeys to enhance platform functionality
Define platform purpose, principles, and key performance indicators
Use data-driven insights to guide product decisions
Design and implement platform reference and target architectures
Who this book is for
This book is for platform engineers, architects, and DevOps professionals responsible for designing and managing internal development platforms. It is also useful for decision-makers involved in optimizing software delivery and operations in cloud-native environments. Familiarity with cloud computing, Kubernetes, and CI/CD concepts is helpful but not required, as the book provides practical guidance on platform engineering, self-service solutions, and managing technical debt.

Table of Contents
Platform Engineering and the Art of Crafting Platforms
Understanding Platform Architecture to Build Platform as a Product
Building the Foundation for Supporting Platform Capabilities
Architecting the Platform Core – Kubernetes as a Unified Layer
Integration, Delivery, and Deployment – Automation is Ubiquitous
Build for Developers and Their Self-Service
Building Secure and Compliant Products
Cost Management and Best Practices
Choosing Technical Debt to Unbreak Platforms
Crafting Platform Products for the Future