One Size Fits None: How Platform Engineering Must Evolve • William Rizzo & Colin Griffin • GOTO 2026

This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted. #GOTOcon #GOTOunscripted https://gotopia.tech William Rizzo - Global Field CTO at Mirantis & CNCF Ambassador Colin Griffin - CEO at Krumware & Co-Chair of CNCF Platform Engineering Working Group RESOURCES William https://bsky.app/profile/williamrizzo.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-rizzo https://github.com/wrkode Colin https://bsky.app/profile/devnetes.bsky.social https://github.com/krumware https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-e-griffin Links https://www.cncf.io/reports/cloud-native-artificial-intelligence-whitepaper https://cloudnativeplatforms.com/whitepapers/platform-eng-maturity-model https://youtu.be/xTUePYLtsyE https://youtu.be/erxUtkCkVuM https://youtu.be/zt9DFMkjkEA DESCRIPTION Colin Griffin and William Rizzo explore the evolving state of platform engineering in 2026. They discuss how the discipline plays out very differently across verticals such as fintech, telco, and automotive, and why generic frameworks must be tailored to the unique regulatory, cultural, and technical realities of each industry. The conversation moves through the growing pressure to align platform investments with measurable business outcomes, the distinct compliance challenges facing European organizations under tightening AI regulation, and the infrastructure reckoning triggered by large-scale GPU investment. Both speakers converge on a shared wish: that the CNCF Platform Engineering White Paper and Maturity Model be updated to reflect vertical-specific guidance, informed directly by end-user organizations. TIMECODES 00:00 Intro 00:52 Platform Engineering is not one-size-fits-all 05:34 Investment, compliance & business outcomes 14:24 Connected experiences, user perspective & the EU–North America divide 20:08 AI, infrastructure & the GPU reckoning 25:36 Wish list for the CNCF White Paper & Maturity Model 28:20 Outro RECOMMENDED BOOKS Gregor Hohpe • Platform Strategy • https://amzn.to/4cxfYdb Gregor Hohpe • Cloud Strategy • https://amzn.to/3TOS3Nv Zhamak Dehghani • Data Mesh • https://amzn.to/3tTCwAC Sandeep Uttamchandani • The Self-Service Data Roadmap • https://amzn.to/3wAw5W2 https://bsky.app/profile/gotocon.com https://twitter.com/GOTOcon https://www.linkedin.com/company/goto- https://www.instagram.com/goto_con https://www.facebook.com/GOTOConferences #PlatformEngineering #PlatformTeams #CNCF CNCFWhitePaper #CNCFMaturityModel #CloudNative #SoftwareEngineering #Programming #WilliamRizzo #ColinGriffin #GOTO CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUS Join this channel to get early access to videos & other perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/join Looking for a unique learning experience? Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket at https://gotopia.tech Sign up for updates and specials at https://gotopia.tech/newsletter SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL - new videos posted almost daily. https://www.youtube.com/user/GotoConferences/?sub_confirmation=1