Environment-based approach instead of system-based: how to design IT products that grow themselves

▤ Summary

This article discusses a shift from a traditional systems approach to an environment-driven approach for building IT products that improve themselves over time. It emphasizes platform thinking, policy-as-code, backpressure handling, fitness functions, and internal developer platforms as core design patterns. The piece also covers SDD, harnesses, evals, and LLM deployment controls as practical mechanisms for keeping software reliable and governable. The main takeaway is that product teams should design software ecosystems that encourage continuous adaptation, automation, and operational guardrails.

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