Platform engineering is not killing DevOps, but it is minimizing the tool sprawl that DevOps unleashed.
- The platform approach is about designing and building self-service capabilities to minimize cognitive overload for developers and enable fast software delivery.
- DevOps wanted to enable developers to build and run their own infrastructure, but it became apparent that developers did not want to do this.
- Reducing cognitive overload allows developers to concentrate on development, which is important in the current skills market with high attrition rates.
- Some aspects of platform engineering may be handled better by machines than humans, such as generative AI for digging into data for trends or incidents.
- Platform engineering is not replacing DevOps, but making sure DevOps and DevSecOps teams are more effective.
- One approach does not have to go away for the other to exist.
