Watch a 58-minute conference talk from NDC Porto where Gregor Hohpe explores the critical distinction between useful abstractions and dangerous illusions in platform development. Delve into two decades of experience building complex distributed systems to understand when hiding complexity through internal platforms truly enhances productivity and when it potentially creates hazardous misconceptions. Learn valuable insights about balancing abstraction with transparency, avoiding common pitfalls in platform design, and creating meaningful abstractions that genuinely improve developer experience without masking critical system behaviors. Examine real-world examples that demonstrate both successful abstractions that boosted productivity and prevented mistakes, as well as cautionary tales where oversimplified illusions led to significant system failures and disappointments.