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The disciplines of engineering and product development are inextricably intertwined. Engineering brings forth the technical prowess to turn ideas into tangible solutions, while product development guides the vision and user-centric focus. It’s a beautiful dance – a harmonious partnership essential for creating products that not only function but genuinely resonate with customers. Why One Cannot Exist Without the Other Picture engineering as the beating heart of a product. It provides the technical foundation, the intricate systems and mechanics that make everything work....

The adage “if you build it, they will come” resonates with an optimism and entrepreneurial spirit found throughout the tech world. This sentiment, however, can be dangerously misleading – especially for platform engineering teams. It lures teams into a focus on building solutions without adequate consideration for the very people they’re meant to serve: their fellow engineers. Building in a Vacuum Too often, platform teams fall into the trap of prioritizing technical elegance and ambition over the genuine needs of developers who’ll use the platform....

Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, isn’t just a desirable trait in a healthy workplace - it’s the cornerstone of effective collaboration and innovation. Yet, many organizations suffer from an ‘us vs. them’ mentality, a lack of empathy between teams that leads to friction, wasted energy, and missed opportunities. Within the complex world of Platform Engineering, this empathy gap is particularly damaging. The Roots of Inter-Team Disconnect Several factors contribute to the lack of empathy between teams in any organization:...

In a world focused on technical perfection, a senior leader’s assertion that “sometimes, we just have to build the right things and not, necessarily, build things right” can seem like heresy. However, this statement holds some truth, especially in product development and innovation. For many engineers, steeped in a culture of careful execution, this shift in mindset can be a significant challenge. The Problem with “Building Things Right” Engineers are trained to solve problems with precision....

Empowering teams to work effectively and independently is crucial. This is where two distinct but complementary forces come into play: enablement and operations teams. While their areas of focus may differ, their ultimate goal is the same - to drive organizational success. The Role of Enablement Enablement teams act as the architects of efficiency. They focus on creating the building blocks that other teams can leverage. This includes: Developing tools and processes: This can range from automation scripts to training materials designed to streamline workflows and reduce dependencies across the organization....