One of the most common pitfalls engineers face is assuming everyone has the same technical context. In reality, we must adapt our message based on who we’re talking to. As a Platform Engineer: I want to utilize various public cloud providers for the application setup and to integrate the existing K8s service catalog into the IDP so that users can easily access Kubernetes services through a unified interface. I want users to fully utilize the IDP in a self-service manner so that I do not become their support staff. As a developer: I need a standardized application setup to streamline building consistent infrastructure. I want to expand the IDP’s service catalog with my services and have CI/CD pipelines integrated into the default setup. Accessing IDP services via self-service will allow me to work efficiently without writing tickets and waiting for colleagues. As a CISO: I want the IDP to ensure transparency of services for compliance monitoring, automatically analyze vulnerabilities, enforce governance policies, and set alerts for violations to reduce constant oversight. When communicating with non-technical stakeholders, focus on the “why” and the business impact. When collaborating with other engineers, be precise, leveraging code snippets, API docs, and architectural diagrams. When interacting with cross-functional partners, balance the technical details and the user experience. Join us as we explore real-world examples of communication missteps, strategies to overcome these challenges, and how clear, intentional dialogue can pave the way for smoother cloud-native adoption and better team outcomes.