Software developers enjoy calling their code libraries and reusable components a "platform." And they feel rewarded when other developers use their components, libraries, or APIs. The fantastic service we enjoy from free, open source software (FOSS) platform components is a direct result of this propensity and "reward" the developers feel when others use their code.
All public cloud providers have profit-oriented "platforms" that include APIs, libraries, & components, with associated documentation, support, tutorials, videos, certifications, evangelists, and free consulting. These "true" platforms are often very comfortable to use and can enable rapid development with less maintenance cost than from-scratch development, even when developers use open source components.
In most big companies, including where I work, large teams of developers are often tasked with building what they call internal "platforms." Unfortunately, these internal platforms have many challenges. Camille Fournier writes about a few of these challenges and her recommendation for remedies. The challenges she address are: a small, captive audience with whom it is hard to empathize, and an odd tendency to build too much into a platform that is never or infrequently used. Her remedies are spot on and I recommend you skim the article to see what worked for her.
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