Building and Operating Internal DeveloperPlatforms
By Kim Myhrmanand PeterÖstrup
PLATFORM ENGINEERING
Acknowledgements
Writingthisbookhas been ajourney shaped by collaboration, curiosity, persistence, andthe belief that modern software developmentcan be better. Many people have contributed to that journey, andwewanttoexpress ourdeepest gratitude to thosewho helped make this work possible.
Firstand foremost,wewanttothank theteamwho built the firstMVP IDPtogether with us:Alexandra Goltsis, Henri Gustavsson, andAlexander Nilsson. Yourdrive,insight,and willingness to explorenew territoryformedthe foundation for much of what this book describes. BuildinganIDP from scratch is nevereasy, yetyou embraced thechallenge with aspiritof experimentationand asharedbeliefthatwecould create somethingmeaningful.
We also want to extend oursincere appreciationtoPer Calson, whosetalent, curiosity, andcreativitymadeevery discussion richer.Fromdeeptechnicalconversations to explorations of user experience andthe “wow” momentsthatgreat platforms should deliver, Perwas aconstantsourceofenergyand inspiration. In momentswhenprogressfeltuncertain,he remindeduswhy we believed in this work—and helped us keep believing.
To ourwives, Anna Myhrmanand NoraÖstrup, thankyou for givingusthe spacetogoall in.Writing abookand building a platform at thesametimedemands long days,latenights, and afairamount of obsession.You supportedusbecause youcould
see that we believed in thevalue of what we were creating,and your patience made this book possible.
To theearly adopters,thank youfor beingbrave enough to try somethingnew.You taught us more aboutwhatuserstruly need from aplatformthanany theory or frameworkevercould. Your feedback,yourhonesty, andyourwillingness to shareyour strugglesgaveshape to thepractical realitiesofIDP design. Youknowwho youare,and we aredeeplygrateful.
Finally, we want to acknowledgeeveryonewho worked against us—or around us—duringthisjourney.Resistancehas away of revealingthe truthabout change management in large organizations.Itexposes blindspots,strengthens arguments, andbringsclarity that supportive environmentscannotalways provide. In many ways,these challenges sharpenedour thinking andvalidated thetheoriesexploredinthisbook. Forthat, too, we aregrateful.
To allwho walkedwithus—whetherascollaborators, challengers, critics,orsupporters—thankyou.Thisbook exists becauseofyou.
Kim Myhrman& PeterÖstrup
BUILDINGAND OPERATING AN
INTERNAL DEVELOPER
PLATFORM
Automatiserad teknik vilken används föratt analyseratextoch data i digitalformi syfteatt generera information, enligt15a,15b och15c §§ upphovsrättslagen(text-och datautvinning),ärförbjuden.
©2026 KimMyhrman &Peter Östrup
Förlag:BoD ·Books on Demand,Östermalmstorg1,114 42 Stockholm, Sverige, bod@bod.se
Tryck: Libri Plureos GmbH, Friedensallee 273, 22763Hamburg,Tyskland
ISBN: 978-91-8114-282-2
Foreword
Overthe past decade,manyofusinthe software industryhave felt an uncomfortable truth: despiteanexplosion of tools, cloud platforms, andautomation, building anddelivering software has notbecome easier.Inmanyplaces, it hasbecome harder. Developersspend theirdaysnavigatingdashboards,pipelines, credentials, andinfrastructureconcerns that were once the domain of specialists.Cognitive load hascrept in quietly—one newtool here,one configuration there—until anormalworkday feelsmorelikewrestlingcomplexitythanwriting software.
Internal Developer Platformsrepresent ashift in mindset.They move us beyond theera of infrastructure management andinto onewhere platformsare products designed fordevelopers. Kubernetes andcloud technologies providescale andflexibility, but they do notcreatea developerexperienceontheir own. A successful platform is notmerelya stackoftools. It is a cohesive,curated environmentthataligns abstractions with real workflows, reduces cognitive load,and allows developers to focusondelivering value. Golden pathsand guardrails help teamsmovefasterwhile avoiding costly mistakes,guiding—not constraining—them. Autonomy andgovernanceare not opposing forces;whenthoughtfullyintegrated, they form the balancethatdefines athrivingplatform.
This book argues that platform engineeringmustplace usability at itscore. Interfaces should reflect developerintentratherthan infrastructure structure. Automation exists to preserve human focus, notmerelytoimprove efficiency.Version controlbecomes thebackboneofplatformreproducibilityand trust. Observabilitymustbebuilt into everyday workflowsinstead of bolted on afterthe fact.PlatformUXwill determineadoption farmorethanfeature lists ever will.Whenplatforms succeed, they feel almost invisible—enablingworkratherthan complicatingit.
Aplatformisnot static.Itisa livingecosystem that evolves throughcontinuous feedback andincremental adoption.Past failuresinPaaS teachusthatrigiditykills momentum,and large-scaletransformationeffortsoften collapse undertheir own ambition.Instead,the most successful platformsgrow iteratively, guided by earlyadopters, shaped by measurable value, andsustained by backward compatibilityand gradual policyevolution.Clear ownershipboundaries, thoughtful permission models,and zero-trustsecurityreinforcethis ecosystemwithout underminingflexibility.Multi-tenancy must balancefairness andautonomy, ensuring shared resourcesdo notcompromisesafetyorperformance.
Ultimately, Internal DeveloperPlatforms areabout more than technology—theyembodya philosophy of empowering developers,reducingcognitive load,and treating infrastructure
Platform Engineering: Building and Operating Internal Developer Platforms is apractical guide for anyone involved in creating, evolving, or running amodern software platform
Internal Developer Platforms(IDPs) are transforming how software is built, deployed, and maintained. Theyempower development teams to move faster,reduceoperational friction, and focus on delivering value while maintaining governance, security,and reliability.This book offers a comprehensivelook at the principles,practices, and organizational strategies that makethese platforms
From understandingdeveloper experiencechallenges to designing cloud-nativefoundations,managing accountsand permissions, and creating self-service CI/CD and deployment environments, this book provides actionable insights drawn from years of hands-on experience. It also explores platform adoption, teamoperating models, automation, and the continuous evolution of platforms in response to real world
user needs.
Whetheryou are aplatform engineer,anarchitect,a team lead, or atechnology leader,this book equips youwith the knowledge to design platformsthat scale, empower developers, and create measurable business value. Learn how to build platforms that are not just technology stacks, but living ecosystems that grow with your organization. within an organization. successful.
