Making Platform Engineering Accessible - From Newcomer to Power User

Explore how to design platform engineering solutions that serve both newcomers and experienced users in this conference talk from KubeCon + CloudNativeCon. Learn to create progressive platform experiences that eliminate barriers while maintaining flexibility for power users, drawing from real-world implementations at CNCF organizations and insights from major cloud native events. Discover practical approaches to building abstractions using tools like Helm, ArgoCD, Dapr, and CNOE that enable developers to level up their skills without sacrificing control or customization options. Examine progressive design patterns that allow platforms to evolve alongside user needs, implementing effective feedback loops to ensure continuous improvement. Gain actionable strategies for making sophisticated cloud native platforms both approachable for overwhelmed newcomers and powerful enough for experienced developers who demand granular control, with concrete examples demonstrating GitOps workflows, Dapr implementations, and other enabling technologies that bridge the gap between simplicity and capability.