Disrupted from within: how a platform team broke the project factory

Themes: Product | Platform | Scale

Many platform teams are quietly being disrupted from within: trapped in a project factory cycle that prioritises output over outcomes, burns people out and fails to demonstrate strategic value.

This session tells the story of how one platform team broke that pattern. By adopting product thinking, like introducing OKRs, outcome-based planning, real-time metrics and a continuous improvement mindset, they shifted from delivering projects to delivering outcomes.

We'll share what improved (reliability, speed, cost and organisational relevance) and what didn't go to plan.

If your team is facing disruption from within, this talk is for you.

Participant takeaways:

• product thinking works for platform and data teams, but you have to be relentless about communicating value, especially because platform impact is indirect
• rethinking your operating model is itself a disruption - it takes time, tolerance for ambiguity and leadership patience
• autonomy only works when strategy is visible - without clear direction, self-organisation becomes noise
• a transition to OKRs is a cultural shift, not a process change - don't rush it
• run your operating model like a product - iterate, learn, and laugh