Design and implement Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs) with self-service capabilities, golden paths, and developer experience optimization. Covers platform strategy, IDP architecture (Backstage, Port), infrastructure orchestration (Crossplane), GitOps (Argo CD), and adoption patterns.
NewMaintained
Automatic
◆DevOps & SRE pack
Last verified 8/21/2026
What it changes
Passed 15 of 23 test cases with the skill, and 16 of 23 without it.
Without skill70%
With skill65%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
Recommends an open-source developer portal framework.
1 fixed14 passed either way6 still failing2 broke
Pass-rate lift
-4 pp
Tokens
+143%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-2%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/21/2026v115 of 23 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
A test case the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
Prompt
Our company has 1,800 software engineers, a dedicated platform engineering group of 8 engineers, deep customization needs across legacy and cloud systems, and a 3-year transformation budget. Which platform strategy fits best?
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
Recommends an open-source developer portal framework.
Missed
Passed
Cites having a dedicated platform team of 5 to 10 engineers as justification.
Passed
Passed
case-03 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/21/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md409 lines7 files
Platform Engineering
Purpose
Build Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs) that provide self-service infrastructure, reduce cognitive load, and accelerate developer productivity through golden paths and platform-as-product thinking.
Platform engineering represents the evolution beyond traditional DevOps, focusing on creating product-quality internal platforms that treat developers as customers. The discipline addresses the developer productivity crisis where engineers spend 30-40% of time on infrastructure and tooling instead of features.
When to Use This Skill
Trigger this skill when:
Building or improving an internal developer platform
Designing a developer portal (Backstage, Port, or commercial IDP)
Implementing golden paths and software templates
Establishing or restructuring a platform engineering team
Measuring and improving developer experience (DevEx)
Integrating IDP with infrastructure, CI/CD, observability, or security tools
Driving platform adoption across an engineering organization
Assessing platform maturity and identifying capability gaps
Core Concepts
Platform as Product
Treat internal platforms with the same rigor as customer-facing products:
Product Management Approach:
Define platform vision, strategy, and roadmap
Identify developer "customers" and their pain points
Measure success via adoption metrics, satisfaction surveys, and business impact
Iterate based on feedback loops and usage analytics
Balance new capabilities with platform reliability and support