A recent AWS announcement about KRO (Kubernetes Resource Orchestrator) caught my attention and got me excited. What I found interesting wasn't the tool itself but also the idea behind it: creating an abstraction layer using the Kubernetes API. Although this concept isn't entirely new (tools like Kratix and Crossplane have explored similar ideas), the possibilities it unlocks are worth discussing in more depth.

Despite the growing focus on platform engineering, abstraction remains a critical yet underappreciated factor in building scalable and efficient platforms. In this talk, we will explore how Kubernetes-based abstractions can simplify operations, reduce complexity, and empower developers with higher-level, self-service interfaces. I will compare different approaches, from orchestration to composition, and highlight their strengths and weaknesses.