As with most forms of engineering it is easy to talk about theory in the abstract, but typically more nuanced to implement. Platform engineering is no exception. While the term has become increasingly popular over the last few years, it is a concept that is organically evolving within industry. For many Platform Engineering began as a means to overcome the challenges of consistent adoption of DevOps across an organization, but increasingly it is being sold as a way to improve the Developer Experience. While sociotechnical design, culture and developer experience have emerged as defining factors in successful platforms they require a more holistic view to platform design. This talks addresses the elephant in the room, that platforms are really about business value and while DevEx is a leading factor in achieving this, it is second to it. Each organization needs to reconcile current maturity, culture, and desired outcome to design the platform that delivers the greatest business value.

One size does not fit all: In many cases the most technically elegant solution may not be the most valuable deliverable. This talk discusses how to weigh up developer experience, measurable profit, and platform best practice to create platforms that deliver more immediate value to the business. Rachael shares the lessons of first-hand experience building a strategic platform that fits into a wider software development lifecycle across the Enterprise, and discovering that 'Your platform is not an island'.