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Map of the Platformatique

February 20, 2023 by Jay Cuthrell

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Music: Muse - “Map of the Problematique” (2007)

This week we take a look at platform engineering services, internal developer platforms, and Wardley maps making the rounds.

Getting Informed

As background, Wardley Mapping^[1] can be a useful approach for visualizing the lifecycle of a market. As Wardley maps have a growing following, it’s not shocking to see appearances related to platform engineering within newsletters, podcasts, and blogs.

Last month, Fudge Sunday covered the humble Internal Developer Platform (IDP).

https://fudge.org/archive/idp-clearly-now/

So, how long will it be until an IDP is as commonplace as choosing from a preference delivered widely through industrial output?

I want to touch the other side 🎶

Getting from the genesis to commodity offering available within general markets can be fascinating. As of this newsletter issue, there is no dominant native “internal developer platform” marketplace offered by a Cloud Service Provider — but that’s likely a temporary condition before an eventual future.

For example, if you search cloud service provider marketplaces for SaaS options using the term “internal developer platform”, the result is a very short list that includes Cycloid and Humanitec… or none at all depending on the cloud service provider.

Screenshot 2023-02-19 at 6.29.35 PM.png

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Screenshot 2023-02-19 at 6.28.12 PM.png

Screenshot 2023-02-19 at 6.23.06 PM.png .

Of course, if you draw the analogy to screws used as fasteners, screws were once custom made for purpose until standards and industrial processes came into being. So, today, the idea of a handmade screw is more likely to be associated with security focused customization.

Indeed, if this analogy is simply about the industrialization of fasteners, you have the choice of making bespoke artisanal screws one at a time, well worn and market proven cam based approaches, and advanced industrial thread rolling approaches.^[2]

Perhaps platform engineering services will be the means for moving the industry forward. Perhaps companies like Tackle.io will bring “industrial thread rolling” to the cloud service provider marketplaces one day.

Turning of the screws indeed. 🤔

I can’t get it right 🎶

It is possible there is a Wardley map that can make sense of all the considerations for the IDP to become industrialized. But if there is such a map, I was not able to find it for this issue of Fudge Sunday.

Oh no, you say. Jay is going to proves he is not too embarrassed to publish something semi half baked.

Correct.

To be fair, I had no intention of making (butchering?) a Wardley Map, but wanted to check out Mapkeep – and it is incredibly well done and lots of fun! Below is an exceedingly quick attempt to capture 5 Core Components of an IDP as ecosystems and, eventually, marketplaces.