Developer-First Platforms - Overcoming K8S Complexity
Tags: kubernetes, devops, dx, diginext
Published: 2023-06-15 12:36:21

As cloud native development continues to evolve, Kubernetes has emerged as the go-to standard for organizations. However, it's important to note that Kubernetes is just the common orchestration framework for now. Many leaders in cloud native development have confirmed that the true challenges lie not in Kubernetes itself, but in the complexities of linking all the components together and making everything work seamlessly.

Against the backdrop of Kubernetes as the developer-first standard, organizations increasingly seek a developer platform concept and platform engineering as the Holy Grail for making the cloud native journey smoother for developers at every level of experience. 

While there is no tried-and-true developer-focused Kubernetes platform (yet), this is also the beauty of the whole idea. The tooling landscape is vast, with organizations selecting what works best for their needs to put together their own developer platforms. However, this can also lead to choice paralysis and false starts, negating the speed benefits that going cloud native was meant to introduce.

With this in mind, let’s look at **why creating a developer-focused Kubernetes platform** makes sense and then explore what components you need to build it.

![kubernetes complexity](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/3663gc1uhvi2e80bok32.png)


## **Developer-First Platforms: Overcoming K8s Complexity**

No one denies that the cloud native paradigm introduces new complexity into the development process. The silos of monolithic development are breaking down, and the linear workflow of coding and handing off to someone else is shifting to a decentralized microservices architecture. This shift brings new challenges, such as different dependencies and the shift-left approach of *"you build it, you run it"* that has accompanied the cloud native revolution.

But how much depth of knowledge about Kubernetes does a developer really need? Should the developer be responsible for the full software life cycle, or just understand critical aspects of it to facilitate faster delivery and feedback loops?

These questions form the foundation of the discussion on developer platforms, which have been the subject of much debate in recent months. While these platforms aim to eliminate frustration, improve productivity, or standardize workflows, one takeaway from the development community (and their colleagues in [DevOps](https://roadmap.sh/devops) and platform engineering) is that a developer-first platform should reduce complexity through standardization, yet still accommodate exceptions.


![developer-focused platforms](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/r46ab0ehw0bpldqbf78a.png)


## ****Developer-Focused Kubernetes Platform****

There is no **one-size-fits-all developer platform**, making room for paving a path that achieves exactly what an individual organization needs for its developers. What do developers need to know to ship software safely, and how will a platform get them there?

Some key considerations for what development teams need from an efficient developer-focused Kubernetes platform include:

- **Support for developer self-service and visibility.** 
Create a baseline for the necessary tools and required visibility to perform the job. Build in flexibility to ensure that no one is locked into a specific approach. A self-service baseline allows everyone to work from the same set of standards independently. This makes it easier to onboard new developers quickly, which facilitates reliable and efficient production.
- **Make it simple.** 
Developers should have an understanding of Kubernetes, but only to the extent that it helps them ship software and receive critical feedback faster. Simplify and clarify their work by providing them with enough capabilities to work quickly without worrying about secondary considerations, such as infrastructure and security, which are important but not their primary focus.
- **Unleash the power of DevOps/PlatformOps.** 
DevOps, PlatformOps, and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) teams are more than just firefighters and first-line support. By creating a developer-focused self-service platform, these teams can focus on strategic projects while also supporting continuous improvement.
- **Centralize key data.** 
Teams require real-time data to gain insight into what is working and what isn't. Whether measuring performance or tracking compliance, a centralized platform allows for the collection of operational and resource data.
- **Focus on faster feedback.** 
The current macroeconomic environment highlights the need for faster and more efficient processes. A reliable developer platform should provide rapid feedback to avoid delays caused by waiting for builds to finish.
- **Facilitate the developer experience.** 
Anything that can reduce cognitive load and keep developers focused on their core tasks is a good investment, especially when market conditions are challenging.

While all of this provides background and reasoning for why a developer-focused Kubernetes platform makes sense

### And that’s the objectives of building…

## **Diginext**

**Diginext** is creating an environment that makes it easy for developers to build, test, and deploy software quickly and efficiently. It’s also a place where you can manage and monitor all your cloud resources.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5clboj08n2is923kb3c4.png)

Learn more about **Diginext**: 

- Website: https://diginext.site
- Github: https://github.com/digitopvn/diginext

Thanks for reading!