Designing and Implementing Golden Paths
Improve developer experience with developer portals and templates
Last updated: 31 July 2026
Learning Objectives
- Understand platforms as a software product: Treat and design infrastructure as a product
- Understand how to create self-service capabilities with Kubernetes abstractions and templates: Improve developer experience with Backstage, Crossplane, and advanced templating mechanisms
- Implement custom abstractions in Kubernetes: Implement custom abstractions with Crossplane and integrate them into the platform
- Measure and improve developer experience: Continuously improve developer experience using metrics and feedback
Prerequisites
- Solid understanding of Kubernetes
- Experience working with GitOps tools like ArgoCD or Flux
- Knowledge of templating mechanisms (Helm)
- Basic software development knowledge (common constructs like loops, conditionals, functions)
What You Will Learn
- Platform-as-a-Product Mindset: Develop features and abstractions using roadmaps, metrics, and feedback loops
- Using Crossplane to Create Abstractions: Create Crossplane resources and integrate them into the platform
- Advanced Deployment Templates with Helm: Work with schemas, tests, and template release cycles
- Setting Up a Developer Portal with Backstage: Install, configure, and deploy Backstage
- Observability and Metrics for Developer Experience: Collect, visualize, and interpret metrics from platform components
- Progressive Delivery and Release Validation with Argo Rollouts: Create rollout strategies as a safety net for platform users
Who Is This For
- can already operate individual platform components and want to improve developer experience
- want to adopt Backstage and Crossplane
- want to provide self-service capabilities for developers
This course is for anyone who already has experience with Kubernetes and GitOps and wants to focus more on developer experience. It builds on the fundamentals of platform engineering and deepens your knowledge of abstractions, templating, and developer portals.
Best Suited For
- People who don't want to learn alone but in a guided way in a group
- People who want to learn besides their job with some additional distance learning
Technical Requirements
- Container engine installed
- A local Kubernetes cluster available (e.g. from your container engine)
- Git installed
- A code editor (e.g. VS Code)
- A stable internet connection
What You Take Away
- Certificate of Participation
A certificate of completion recognizing your participation
- Slides
Overview of the learned topics in the slides
Schedule
Dates to be announced. Sign up to be notified first.
Exempt from VAT under the Kleinunternehmerregelung (small business regulation, § 6 para. 1 no. 27 UStG).
Your Trainer
Thomas Schuetz Cloud Native Trainer & Architect
Thomas is a Cloud Native Trainer and Owner of TSC Labs. Besides that, he's serving as a CNCF Ambassador and Tech Lead for the CNCF TAG Infrastructure. He helps organizations embrace cloud native by upskilling teams and designing developer platforms that improve the developer experience. Passionate about accessibility and community, Thomas contributes to open source projects and actively supports the growth of cloud native communities.
- CNCF Ambassador and CNCF TAG Lead
- Golden Kubestronaut
- Led many teams and companies through cloud native adoptions
- Teaches Cloud Native Technologies at Universities of Applied Sciences
- Speaker at many Conferences and Meetups