Software Architect
The role of software architects is to make high-level design choices and dictate technical standards. They needs to see the bigger picture.
A software architect needs to connect people. They are the fast elevators in a building to connect the floors. Higher management, mid-levels and engineering are often disconnected and isolated. A software architect needs to bring those people (or there idea, understanding, inputs, ..) together.
Architects are here to choose the best trade-off
The life of a software architect is a long (and sometimes painful) succession of sub-optimal decisions made partly in the dark.
Architects shouldn't aim to be the smartest in the room. Instead, they should aim to make everyone else a bit smarter.
Everything in software architecture has a trade-off. Thinking like an architect is analyzing these trade-offs, then asking “which is more important?"
Programmers know the benefits of everything and the trade-offs of nothing.
Architects need to understand both.
An architect should make other people smarter - not because they are dumb but because they work on different levels. We use metaphors, models, connect different peoples, ... to achieve this.
📅 Daily Habits for an Architect
| Habit | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| 🧠 Make others smarter | You multiply impact through empowered teams. |
| 📞 Communicate across layers | Keep business aligned with tech decisions. |
| 🧰 Stay close to implementation | Prevent architecture from becoming irrelevant. |
| 🎨 Use metaphors | Bridge the gap between tech and business speak. |
| 🪞 Question ambiguity | Don't let fluff drive strategy. Seek clarity. |
| ⚖️ Weigh tradeoffs | Architecting is about choosing fit-for-purpose over hype. |
| 📚 Harvest insights from real life | Great metaphors live outside tech. Stay observant. |