Platform Engineering for Startups vs. Enterprises — What’s the Real Difference?

A development platform is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. But when you start building one, it’s important to understand that the needs of a small startup and those of a large enterprise are completely different. So how do you approach this correctly in each case?

In Startups: Speed and Flexibility Are Key

1. Simplicity Above All: In a startup, there’s no time to build the perfect system. You need a minimal platform that gives developers the ability to release code as quickly as possible.
2. Basic Automation: Even if there isn’t a full CI/CD pipeline yet, at least set up a basic deployment and testing pipeline.
3. Open Source and Managed Services: Rely on existing solutions as much as possible — it saves time and simplicity is critical.
4. Minimal Infrastructure: Start with Infrastructure as Code, but without committing to overly complex modularity. A lean system that works is better.

In Large Enterprises: Scale and Stability Come First

1. Standardization: It’s important to define consistent processes to maintain uniformity across teams.
2. Security and Compliance: Much more emphasis on permissions, non-human identity (NHI) management, and regulatory compliance.
3. Microservices and Scalable Infrastructure: Separation into layers, using separate VPCs, and smart permissions management.
4. Advanced Self-Service: Bots, portals, and tools that allow developers to set up and run environments independently without involving DevOps at every step.

What’s Common to Both?

• Developer Experience (DevEx): Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, the platform must be convenient and intuitive.
• Infrastructure as Code: Without this, there’s no control and no transparency.
• Transparency and Monitoring: Dashboards, logs, and monitoring — always.

At the end of the day, Platform Engineering is not just about technology — it’s about culture. It’s crucial to understand your organization’s needs and build a platform that serves them in the best possible way.

Read more at: Senora.dev 🤗