Platforms: Build Abstractions, not Illusions • Gregor Hohpe • GOTO 2025

This presentation was recorded at GOTO Copenhagen 2025. #GOTOcon #GOTOcph
https://gotocph.com

Gregor Hohpe - Author of "Platform Strategy", "The Software Architect Elevator", et al.

RESOURCES
https://twitter.com/ghohpe
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghohpe
http://eaipatterns.com
https://architectelevator.com

Links
https://twitter.com/ghohpe/status/1513362076990803969
https://github.com/97-things/97-things-every-programmer-should-know
https://youtu.be/Zrj7RD7G24Q
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6513

ABSTRACT
Let’s be honest, the tech we use today is amazing, but it can also be complex.

It’s only natural that teams want to build platforms that hide this complexity to improve productivity, avoid mistakes, and reduce cognitive load. But they may be misled to believe that the more complexity they hide, the better their platform is. Instead, they end up creating dangerous illusions!

This talk reflects on two decades of building complex distributed systems, highlighting where abstractions helped and where illusions led to major disappointments. [...]

TIMECODES
00:00 Intro
02:03 We shifted everything so far left, it piled up
04:12 Economies of scale & speed
14:23 Platform # IT service
16:0 Overcoming constraints
22:52 Standing on shoulders of giants
27:48 Abstractions vs. Composition
45:52 Outro

30:53 Build abstractions, not illusions!

Read the full abstract here:
https://gotocph.com/2025/sessions/3672

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Gregor Hohpe • Platform Strategy • https://amzn.to/4cxfYdb
Gregor Hohpe • The Software Architect Elevator • https://amzn.to/3F6d2ax
Gregor Hohpe • Cloud Strategy • https://amzn.to/3TOS3Nv
Gregor Hohpe • Enterprise Integration Patterns, Vol 2 • https://amzn.to/3TNedQ3
Gregor Hohpe & Bobby Woolf • Enterprise Integration Patterns • https://amzn.to/3DqII9l
Gregor Hohpe • 37 Things One Architect Knows About IT Transformation • https://amzn.to/3z8uhnw
Kevlin Henney & Trisha Gee • 97 Things Every Java Programmer Should Know • https://amzn.to/3kiTwJJ

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