Tom explored how platform engineering addresses the increasing cognitive load on developers by streamlining infrastructure, enabling self-service, and fostering agility.

Focusing on practical tools and techniques, he shared how abstracting complex systems can be applied across various use cases, from supporting engineers in creating microservices to enabling data products within a data mesh architecture. Using Kubernetes as the foundation, he demonstrated how Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) and Operators can simplify the lifecycle management of these abstractions, making platform engineering more efficient and scalable.

For a deeper dive into his innovative approach and practical examples, including how abstraction supports the development of microservices and data products, you can watch the full talk on YouTube here.

Tom also presented a condensed version of this talk at PlatformCon2024, the world’s largest platform engineering event, which featured over 150 speakers selected from 800+ submissions and was attended virtually by 30,000 participants. His PlatformCon presentation emphasized how these principles empower developers while reducing complexity.