Most platform teams build products, but they don’t know it

The New Stack

by Oleg Danilyuk

February 24, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Most platform teams focus on building capabilities but often overlook the critical step of ensuring those tools are actually adopted by their users. The article highlights that simply shipping a self-service workflow or environment provisioning tool isn’t enough—it’s about how well it resonates with its intended audience. Many teams fall into the trap of treating internal platforms as mere infrastructure rather than products, which leads to underutilization and frustration among users. The key issue lies in understanding personas and tailoring solutions to specific user needs. Broad roles like "developer" or "site reliability engineer" are too vague to design for effectively. Instead, platform teams should identify primary users and optimize workflows for them, ensuring that the tool meets their unique constraints and priorities. This targeted approach is essential for driving adoption and avoiding a situation where the platform becomes just another tolerated but underused solution. Adoption is not a guaranteed outcome of deployment. Many platforms fail because they conflate rollout with actual usage. While shipping features and documentation marks a milestone, true adoption requires a shift in user behavior over time. Early adopters may overlook rough edges, but broader acceptance hinges on the platform being significantly easier to use than existing alternatives. Treating all users uniformly, whether through identical rollouts or messaging, often results in uneven uptake. The article also emphasizes that some friction is intentional and necessary—like approval gates for high-risk changes—but unnecessary friction can derail adoption. Platform teams must evaluate when and why certain steps are in place and remove outdated or counterproductive barriers. By focusing on user-centric design, thoughtful rollout strategies, and minimizing unnecessary complexity, platform teams can build tools that truly meet their users' needs and drive meaningful change within the organization. For DevOps professionals, this perspective is crucial. Building internal platforms with a product mindset—prioritizing user experience, targeting specific personas, and fostering adoption through strategic design choices—is essential for creating tools that not only work but are also widely embraced. This approach ensures that platform teams deliver solutions that align with the engineering org's goals and enhance overall efficiency.

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Originally published on The New Stack on 2/24/2026