Platform democracy: Rethinking who builds and consumes your internal platform

Traditional platform engineering often reinforces rigid boundaries - developers versus operators, platform teams versus service owners - leading to siloed responsibilities and increased complexity. In this session, Humphreys challenges this model by proposing a new approach: platform democracy. He explores how internal platforms can evolve into open ecosystems where producers and consumers collaborate seamlessly. Drawing on his work with Kratix, Humphreys demonstrates how promises, plugins, and automated fleet upgrades enable shared ownership, reduce friction, and scale platform operations. Attendees will learn how to implement flexible workflows that support continuous contribution and consumption - both within and beyond the organization. This session is ideal for teams seeking to modernize their platform model through greater openness, automation, and shared responsibility. Learn more: https://platformcon.com/sessions/platform-democracy-rethinking-who-builds-and-consumes-your-internal-platform