How I created my very own dream Platform Engineering Team!

Platform Engineering nowadays is a very hot topic in the IT industry. Some people out there still think that it’s a buzzword. On the other hand, 80% of the IT firms have already opted for established Platform Engineering teams and the reason behind that is simple or is it? Mmm.. maybe not very simple. The platform needs to be created in a way that it has a constant adhesiveness for the software updates from the root level to the top level where the code runs. The platform is a complex system, constantly evolving, and requires constant effort to make sure it performs as per expectations, is secure, scalable, highly available, robust, etc, etc.?

So, where to start??

The first point should be understanding your current setup, how big it is, what components it has, which technology it runs on, the tech stack, CICD pipelines, cloud provisioning, cloud provider, and services understanding the dependencies and expectations from the technology teams.?

Once that picture is clear, the next thing to work on is understanding the current state, and outstanding issues, gathering feedback from the customers i.e., our developers, testers and creating a roadmap, and planning out the projects for your Platforms team. However, there could be a complexity here, this may be the mindsets, I have met and seen places having a mindset that Platform Engineering teams should provide services i.e., constantly making sure that releases are happening on time and a production environment is stable. However, coming up with the Platform projects that could be for example migrating from on prem system to cloud services, consolidating toolsets, automated solutions for the environment, and your CICD evolution….. I can go on and on but I will say something along these lines is crucial.?

The Struggle is now getting real…?

Now comes 2 vital parts. These parts don’t necessarily need to go in order. You can go to Part 2 and then Part 1 if you already have a well-built team.?

First is to get buy-in from the stakeholders, a strategy that works well is getting the technology teams on board first. Therefore, get your project plans sorted, have the detailed project documentation ready, and present to technology teams and make them understand what you are trying to resolve and how it will save them time and make their lives easier. Keep that as a primary objective and trust me you will get them on board.?

Once the technology teams are on board, expand your project documentation and incorporate the timelines, break down the tasks, create demand, and create a planner. You then present that to your senior leadership team and delivery managers and now your projects are all ready to be executed.?

Here comes the 2nd part.. resources.?

Within your team, see what skill set you have, and what's the level of experience and expertise. Now since you know what project you want to execute i.e., part 1, you should already have an idea if that project can be executed by the existing team or not. If the project is critical and heavy on networking, it becomes a requirement to have the networking skill set with your Platforms team. If you don’t have one on your team, it is time to create a business case for hiring a networking engineer.??

Now, there can be a debate!?

What resources a Platforms engineering team should have????

My suggestion here would be mix skill sets, mix levels of experience, and expertise. A platform engineering team needs to be well-equipped to deliver the best and most stable Platform as a Product. Platforms is composed of various things, CICD, IaC, Monitoring, Databases, Networking, Security, automation, etc. It’s hard to find 1 person with all the skill sets, so have a mixed bag on the team.

That way you will create an environment where everybody works cohesively and learns from one another. You are nurturing your team to become more productive, and you and your team are all set to take on new challenges with much ease.?Good luck !!

?