Recorded at KubeCon 2026, Michael Meelis (Platform Engineer at ITQ) sits down with Steve Wade (Founder of Platform Fix) to discuss one of the biggest challenges in platform engineering: complexity.

At KubeCon, it’s easy to get lost in the growing CNCF landscape. But are all these tools actually helping organizations deliver value, or just slowing them down?

This episode explores why simplifying platforms, focusing on developer experience, and aligning with business outcomes is far more important than adopting every new tool.

In this episode they discuss:

  • Why the CNCF landscape leads to tool sprawl
  • The risk of building platforms for technology instead of business value
  • Developer experience and why many platforms fail their users
  • Why Git should be the real interface of your platform
  • The downside of tools like Backstage when misapplied
  • The hidden cost of “new tools” and operational overhead
  • Real world example: reducing complexity and saving €500K annually
  • Why platform engineering is ultimately about people, not technology

Watch or listen to this episode on your favorite platform

Listen on Spotify

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Listen on Youtube

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About Steve Wade

Founder at Platform Fix
He is the founder of PlatformFix, specializing in simplifying cloud native platforms for enterprise organizations. Over the past decade, he has helped transform more than 50 platforms by reducing unnecessary complexity, eliminating excess tooling, and lowering operational costs. His approach focuses on removing rather than adding technology, helping organizations improve efficiency, reduce platform costs, and accelerate delivery. This has resulted in significant cost savings and more streamlined, maintainable platform architectures across a wide range of environments.