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

👉 Learn more about ITQ Cloud Native: https://itq.eu/cloud-native