When I started contracting with the Dutch government to build a new internal developer platform, I found myself navigating competing demands from different teams. Development teams wanted support tailored to their processes, neighboring infrastructure teams aimed to protect their areas of responsibility, and management expected visible progress. These conflicting priorities kept pulling my team in multiple directions, making it challenging to stay aligned and focused.

Since I have a background in Developer Relations, I soon made it my goal to engage all involved parties, giving users a sense of ownership and collaboration, while keeping the platform cohesive.

In this talk, I’ll share the tools and processes that helped address these challenges. I’ll provide practical insights for aligning diverse stakeholders. If you’ve ever faced the challenge of “too many cooks” this session will show how to turn competing demands into a recipe for success.