When to start a platform team? Probably sometime around now
Blog post from Swarmia
Internal developer platforms often emerge organically within growing organizations, manifesting as a collection of scripts, documentation, and varied development practices that can lead to inefficiencies and frustration. As organizations scale, establishing a platform team becomes essential to enhance the effectiveness of non-platform engineers and to streamline operations, especially once the workforce surpasses 100 engineers. This team should focus on aligning and improving the developer experience by addressing technical debt and ensuring that the value of the platform outweighs its implementation costs. The platform team should have a clear strategy, prioritize tasks effectively, and maintain a strong connection with business objectives to adapt to changing needs over time. By fostering a structured and efficient environment, the platform team can help mitigate the complexities that arise from growth, ensuring long-term success and improved developer experience.