Building Scalable Internal Developer Platforms (Webinar recap)
- Ntongha Ekot
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
In our first webinar of 2025, Daniel Bryant was joined by Abby Bangser and Jake Klein to explore the topic "Building Scalable Internal Developer Platforms." The session provided an in-depth discussion on the challenges, solutions, and best practices for constructing scalable, secure, and efficient Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs).
A key focus was Kratix, an open-source framework designed to simplify platform-building by enabling self-service capabilities and user-facing APIs. The conversation also touched on Syntasso Kratix Enterprise (SKE) and how it enhances the open-source experience.
Here are some key takeaways from the webinar.
The Biggest Blockers to Platform Engineering Adoption
One of the primary challenges organisations face when adopting platform engineering is a lack of shared understanding about why the platform is needed.
Abby highlighted that different stakeholders often have different motivations—whether it’s cost optimisation, compliance, security, or developer experience—but without clear priorities, teams struggle to align on what to build first.
Another major blocker? Over-focusing on technology instead of business goals. Some teams think they need to start from scratch, while others feel they are too far along to change direction. The key, Abby explained, is focusing on the company’s goals first—then selecting the technology that best supports achieving them.
How Kratix Accelerates Platform Adoption
Jake described Kratix as a tool that enables organisations to bring different teams together to collaborate on platform development.
In traditional setups, platform adoption is slow because different teams—security, compliance, networking, etc.—all need to be consulted before a platform component can be delivered. This process often takes months.
With Kratix, this collaboration is built into the platform itself, allowing teams to integrate their requirements upfront and deliver value in minutes or days, not months. The result? Faster adoption and a more seamless experience for platform users.
A Common Mistake When Rolling Out Internal Platforms
One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is centralising platform offerings before setting up an “as-a-service” mechanism.
Abby pointed out that platform engineering does not replace DevOps—rather, it’s about enabling DevOps teams by providing dependencies as a service. Without this, internal teams end up drowning in manual requests that take months to fulfil, slowing down development instead of accelerating it.
The key takeaway? Build self-service capabilities from the start.
How Syntasso Kratix Enterprise Enhances OSS Kratix
Jake explained that SKE builds on Kratix by adding pre-configured integrations and optimisations that make platform-building quicker and easier.
Open-source Kratix gives you full flexibility but requires more setup. SKE bridges the gap by providing out-of-the-box integrations with Port, Backstage, Terrraform, and other tools, so platform teams can focus on delivering value rather than managing implementation details.
SKE also offers a direct feedback loop with the Syntasso team, meaning users can shape the product’s roadmap and ensure the framework evolves to meet their needs.
Making Self-Service Platform API Creation Easier with the Kratix CLI
Kratix simplifies self-service API creation with a CLI tool that converts existing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) components into fully managed APIs.
During the webinar, Abby shared a live demo, explaining that an API doesn’t always have to be a REST request or a Kubernetes Custom Resource Definition (CRD). Instead, Kratix allows teams to expose functionality through their preferred interface without worrying about the underlying implementation.
Jake followed up with a demo of Kratix’s Promise framework, showcasing how it improves service management and platform scalability.
Bringing this Thinking to KubeCon: The Stack the Deck Card Game
To help teams think strategically about service automation, Abby has developed "Stack the Deck", a card game designed to simulate real-world platform engineering challenges. This interactive experience helps engineers define, design, and prioritise services as they transition to an as-a-service model.
The game provides hands-on experience in thinking through API design, service dependencies, and automation strategies. Participants will engage in discussions about best practices, challenge common assumptions, and refine their understanding of what makes a robust platform service.
Abby will be showcasing Stack the Deck at KubeCon EU 2025, where attendees can try it out, discuss best practices, and learn how to implement automation in their own organisations.
Final Thoughts
The webinar provided a practical, real-world look at how organisations can navigate platform engineering challenges and build scalable, self-service developer platforms.
Comments