Bringing internal engineering gems into the light

Bill Doerrfeld | March 28, 2025

The latest edition of DirectorPlus explores how to externalize successful internal engineering projects.


Some internal tools are too good to keep hidden.


But how do you find these gems? And when should you externalize them?


I spoke with Spotify's Pia Nilsson about how to identify and externalize internal platforms — like they did with Backstage.


According to Nilsson, great internal tools solve a real business problem, serve an underserved need, don't introduce friction, and require ongoing support.


Catch it in the latest edition of DirectorPlus for LeadDev. And be sure to subscribe to DirectorPlus if you'd like this monthly column in your inbox.


Featured image credit: @chuttersnap


Read: Bringing internal engineering projects to the world

Sign up to the DirectorPlus newsletter for a new story in your inbox each month featuring on-the-ground insights from some of the industry's top engineering leaders. Or, if you would like to be featured in the series, please read this.

Other Blog Posts

The Road to KubeCon

By Bill Doerrfeld • September 8, 2026
I'll be writing a weekly series for The New Stack this fall covering Kubernetes, cloud native, and everything happening on the road to KubeCon in November.

Just announced: MCP Security Conference

By Bill Doerrfeld • September 1, 2026
I'm teaming up with Dan Barahona and AI Security University to put together the MCP Security Conference, a free half-day virtual event dedicated to MCP security .

Inside Shopify's "high-intensity" engineering culture

By Bill Doerrfeld • August 27, 2026
My latest DirectorPlus edition interviews Shopify's head of engineering, Farhan Thawar, on their unique internal engineering culture.

The rise of neoclouds in AI compute

By Bill Doerrfeld • August 24, 2026
Neoclouds promise cheaper GPUs and AI-optimized infrastructure, but can they really challenge hyperscalers? My feature on InfoWorld explores their advantages, risks, and likely role in AI compute.

Can AI finally stop software knowledge decay?

By Bill Doerrfeld • July 29, 2026
My latest for LeadDev interviews IBM's Neel Sundaresan on how to prevent a decades-old issue in software engineering.

Can zero standing privilege secure agentic AI?

By Bill Doerrfeld • July 13, 2026
The latest advancement in identity and access management (IAM) is something called zero standing privilege. It's a response to new agentic AI risks.

Are shared libraries on their way out?

By Bill Doerrfeld • July 7, 2026
Big surprise: it's way easier to generate new code with AI than to reuse old code. But what are the long-term effects?

AI coding agents are now the default

By Bill Doerrfeld • June 25, 2026
Agentic coding tools have become the default. "When we've taken that away accidentally from people, they scream."

Your AI model might disappear tomorrow: what now?

By Bill Doerrfeld • June 17, 2026
My latest for LeadDev considers how engineering leaders should respond in the wake of uncertainty in the AI model market.

My research into 10 MCP gateways

By Bill Doerrfeld • June 10, 2026
I'm working with Zuplo on some new content around their MCP Gateway release. First up: a deep comparison of MCP gateways on the market!