The value of product thinking for platform teams (DOP103)

Transforming Platform Teams: From Building Stuff to Solving Customer Problems

Introduction to Platform Teams

  • Platform teams have evolved in many organizations as a result of the "you build it, you run it" culture that emerged from the DevOps movement.
  • This transition has increased the cognitive load on product teams, leading to the creation of platform teams to reduce the burden on them.
  • However, the approach of platform teams deploying technologies like Kubernetes and expecting product teams to understand them has not been particularly helpful.

Key Principles for Effective Platform Teams

1. Adopt a Product Mindset

  • Platform teams should view themselves as building a product for other engineers in the organization, not just deploying technologies.
  • They should apply best practices from product development, such as:
    • Focusing on discovery to understand the problems they are trying to solve, not just building features.
    • Regularly engaging with their "customers" (product teams) to get feedback and ensure they are solving the right problems.

2. Create Winning Conditions

  • Avoid the "mandate" approach, where platform teams build what they want and force adoption. This often leads to disjointed solutions that don't address the real needs of product teams.
  • Instead, foster an environment of competition, where product teams have the ability to solve their own problems. This will push the platform team to truly understand and solve the right problems.
  • Align the goals of the platform team and product teams around delivering value to the organization's end customers.

3. Build a Partnership

  • Leverage the fact that the platform team's "customers" (product teams) are readily available within the organization.
  • Focus on building trust and becoming a trusted advisor to product teams, helping them solve their problems rather than creating more work for them.
  • Encourage product teams to contribute to the platform, as they are the ones best positioned to understand their own needs.

Measuring Success and Becoming a Trusted Advisor

  • Instead of metrics-driven goals, the platform team should aim to receive "thank you" notes from product teams, indicating that they are truly solving their problems.
  • As the partnership matures, the platform team should see improvements in metrics like delivery efficiency and customer value delivery.
  • The ultimate goal is for the platform team to become a trusted advisor, where product teams see the platform team as a valuable resource to help them overcome challenges and deliver more value to the organization's end customers.

Conclusion

  • Platform teams need to evolve from a "build stuff and hope people use it" mentality to a true product-focused approach that solves the real problems of their internal customers (product teams).
  • This requires adopting a product mindset, creating the right organizational conditions, and building a genuine partnership with the product teams they serve.
  • By doing so, platform teams can become a strategic asset that enables the entire organization to deliver more value to end customers.

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