Release a Platform as a Product white paper

[oliverjfletcher]

Hey y'all 👋🏻,

It was discussed through #282 the need for the WG for Platforms to provide the community with resources to help platform teams and architects to adopt product thinking so they can better understand their platform consumers.

This issue is to formalize the proposed white paper to provide this guidance, as well as extending the guidance to fundamental organizational changes to help realize a Platform as a Product.

Background

This Platforms white paper intentionally focused on a high level topic and specifically says its goal is to "support enterprise leaders, enterprise architects and platform team leaders to advocate for, investigate and plan internal platforms for cloud computing...[and to] enable that support by discussing what the value of platforms is, how to measure that value, and how to implement platform teams that maximize it."

Given this, the working group always imagined a number of follow up papers and documents to dive deeper into the details introduced in the white paper. Some of these actions are already underway (e..g the Platform Maturity Model, survey. This issue is to formalize the Platform as a Product white-paper.

Why Platform as a Product

As the Platforms white paper echoed the sentiment of productizing the platform, guidance should be provided to enterprise leaders, enterprise architects for how they can adopt a product thinking mindset when delivering and evolving their platform.

The paper will look to provide this guidance, as well as extending the guidance for key organizational considerations, for defining and evolving a platform strategy, transformational considerations, and what should be considered when delivering a platform for their consumers.

We will also look to align and complement the Platform Maturity Model so this white paper can be used as a companion paper for those who are looking to level up and evolve their platform.

The initial draft for the white paper has been based off experience and research from myself and @mluskind. We want to ensure that our point of view, and data is reviewed by the community. We have planned to use surveys and interviews to help gain further insight into the subject matter as well as either validate or challenge our point of view and data.

Current draft

This document is open for global suggestions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WQx8Ijg9uY0xa1uxVWOYHoTPV0b4WCh2KbV70c86fY8/edit?usp=sharing

History of current draft

The original draft platform as a product (v0.0.1) was revived by a number of product managers, leaders and engineers across the community. Though it was recognized we had made our position clear as to what the definition around platform as a product could be for the community. The working group wanted to ensure that this point of view and ultimately hypothesis could be validated by research out in the field.

The working group are now focused on defining an interview framework that will define the hypothesis we want to confirm or invalidate as well as the questions that will help the WG arrive at this understanding.

This will also help define where we go next with this paper. A paper may not be the next logical step and other mediums such as; blogs, reports, or other papers focused on defined areas around platform as a product could be outcomes of the interviews that are conducted across the community.

It should be also noted the data from the interviews will help to inform and iterate previous work completed within the WG including the platforms white paper and the platform maturity model.

Tasks

• Draft Paper Feedback [Status: Completed] - It should be noted that this may be revised and or reworked, based on data from the interviews conducted
• Survey [Status: Completed] - It should be noted that this lacked depth in terms of responses, and may need to be revisited at a later date.
• Blog Post for Paper and Survey [Status: To do]
• Interview Framework [Status: In Progress]
• Research Plan [Status: In TBD] - This may be super seeded by the Interview framework
  • Research Guide [Status: In Progress]
  • Interview Scripts [Status: In Progress]
    • Platform Leaders
    • Platform Builders
  • Interview Tools [Status: To do]
  • Interviewers & Scheduling [Status: To do]

Proposed next steps

Similar to the Platforms White paper and Platforms Maturity Model, I think that this document would benefit from a wider audience and a refinement period. I would propose it be mentioned at WG-Platform and TAG-AppDelivery meetings as a suggestion for review.

I would like to volunteer myself with support from @mluskind to carry the torch for this white paper. We would still appreciate guidance and leadership from both @joshgav and @abangser as the paper evolves too.

If others want to help assist rallying folks, and support our proposed next steps, please let us know.

We want to target the review to be completed of the current draft (v0.1.0) before the end of November and ideally release the white paper for KubeCon EU in Paris in 2024.

Note: A v0.2.0 version of the paper and or a final version may not go forward but this will be dependent on the data that is gathered from the interviews that are conducted with the community and consensus being reached with the working group as to what next steps could be.

Please comment on this issue if you want to be a lead or otherwise on publishing this paper!

[joshgav]

Thank you for proposing this @oliverjfletcher. Love the thorough background and thoughtful proposal for process. Looking forward to contributing and supporting you. 🚀 🎸

[puja108]

Love where this is going!

As mentioned in the WG call today, I'm happy to help and contribute on this. The topic is definitely close to my heart.

[Rotfuks]

Coming from my perspective as a PM in a Developer Platform Company I really love the idea to bake in the product mindset from the beginning in this platform working group and would also enjoy to help here. 

Just as a first idea popping to my mind after reading this ticket I would like to challenge the target group slightly. As you stated this additional whitepaper should help "enterprise leaders, enterprise architects [to] adopt a product thinking mindset". With the risk of opening a bottomless pit here, I would at least want to throw in that the whole organisation has to build up a product mindset in order to be really successful, not just the enterprise leaders and architects. 

I'll make sure to review the draft and would love to contribute in any upcoming meetings :)

[srirajan]

Thanks @oliverjfletcher for looping me in. I like the idea and will spend some more time reviewing the doc. Also tagging Laksh Ranganathan @lr78230 who is interested in this as well.

[lr78230]

@srirajan Thanks for looping me on this. Super interesting and very aligned with some of the work I have been doing with Prod/Eng Ops to managing platform teams with a product mindset. @oliverjfletcher I will review the doc and add my thoughts there and happy to explore ways I can support/contribute to this white paper.