Richard Ashman’s Post

🗣️🗣️ 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 🗣️🗣️ hearing this yapp too often these days. Let me tell you something. Cutting corners leads to trouble. Architectural debt (the slow build-up of bad design choices) will seriously harm a project over time. When companies cut back on architects, they open the door to 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀: components don’t fit together, adding new features becomes difficult, and overall performance drops. Architects are like conductors of an orchestra, making sure everything works well together. They focus on the long-term needs of the system, enforce best practices, and stop costly mistakes before they happen. Developers, on the other hand, dive deep into specific areas of the code, delivering detailed solutions. Both roles are crucial and 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆: architects provide the broad vision, while developers bring that vision to life with their focused expertise. Many organizations have cut architects and highly qualified engineers over the last couple of years, claiming progress is still happening. That’s just the momentum of previous work. Grab some popcorn 🍿 and watch as these systems slowly begin to fail over the next few years. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. 🥂 Cheers to all the architects out there who are doing their best to design and create resilient and reliable systems in healthcare, payments, transportation, energy, education, telecommunications cybersecurity etc. The world literally depends on you. #SoftwareDevelopment #Architecture #TechLeadership #ArchitecturalDebt #Innovation

🙅♂️ "𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀? 𝗪𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀!" No CEO would ever describe their business as simple — whether it’s a one-person startup or a multinational corporation. Yet employees sometimes hold a different belief. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲? Long-standing team members or employees who’ve previously worked in larger, more structured organizations may view the business as straightforward. They might feel that 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀’ 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀' 𝗶𝗹𝗹-𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. This perspective is especially common among those who’ve spent years in a single area or handle routine operational tasks. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗼 Give yet another rundown on the benefits of architecture. Perhaps your colleagues simply missed these insights. Surely, they’ll appreciate the refresher! Be persistent in positioning architecture as an invaluable tool for systematically managing growth, maintaining scalability, ensuring ongoing efficiency… 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 👍Acknowledge that these colleagues 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿—they hold essential knowledge of the company and have deep expertise. 👍Let them know that their level of understanding is what everyone should aspire to. 👍𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀; you’ll find ways to channel their insights for the benefit of the organization. 👍Engage them in 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, and lead to more insightful conversations. 👍𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 to architectural work publicly — it can be incredibly powerful. Sometimes, your most 𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀. To be continued... 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵) 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀: 1. What Exactly Is Architecture, Anyway? https://lnkd.in/dbX_N7PR 2. What Does Architecture Bring to the Table? https://lnkd.in/dgPqA-rP 3. Architecture isn't for us — it's only for large companies and complex systems! https://lnkd.in/dXr_vegV

I had a good discussion with my brother, Michael Hughes, this weekend about dealing with difficult people at work. People are the most complicated part of any solution architecture. You are usually dealing with an assortment of personalities, good, bad, and, unfortunately, sometimes ugly. A solid strategy is stick to the facts and use them as the basis for any technology decision analysis. It is also important to not get emotionally entangled in the solution you are shepherding or in the people you are engaging to completion the design. When dealing with difficult people, you need to focus on the goal of each interaction. What is your objective? Focus on achieving that objective and don’t get distracted by other elements of dealing with a difficult person that might be triggering you! #enterprisearchitecture #solutionarchitecture

🏢 Architects: Someone less qualified than you is doing what you want to do because they took action. Stop spending time complaining about what others have done or taken from you. Stop procrastinating when you could simply start. Here are three ways you can position your firm for greater success: 1️⃣ Stay Current with Technology: Continuously update your knowledge and tools to leverage the latest advancements in architecture and design software. Integrating cutting-edge technology can streamline workflows, enhance design quality, and improve project outcomes. 2️⃣ Develop Forward-Thinking Client Relationships: Build strong, long-lasting relationships with clients open to exploring new lines of service with you. Engage them in conversations about innovative solutions and additional services that can add value to their projects. By positioning yourself as a trusted advisor and partner, you can uncover new opportunities for collaboration and growth. 3️⃣ Innovate Your Business Model: Think beyond traditional architectural services. Explore new revenue streams, such as consulting, offering educational workshops, or developing products related to your expertise. Diversifying your offerings can open up new opportunities and reduce risk. Let this year be the year where YOU act to build something better. Start today. #ArchitectureInnovation #BusinessGrowth #ArchitectsTakeAction _____________________ Hi, 👋🏻 I'm Evelyn Lee, FAIA | NOMA I've been on the client side for over a decade and have spent the last five years in tech, helping create exceptional employee experiences while growing the business. Now, I help architects: ⇒ Think Differently ⇒ Increase Productivity ⇒ Create Opportunities

Another good read from Maciej Jedrzejewski. Apart from pointing out that ivory tower architects are troublesome, Maciek suggests some solutions, most importantly: 👉 setting up an ARCHITECTURE GUILD 👈 and linking to Jakub Nabrdalik's repo with a detailed step by step "walkthrough" outlining: - what are the goals - how the guild operates - useful templates (ADRs, RFCs, C4, etc) Didn't know about Jakub's repo - you should definitely take a look at it. BTW it's a perfect example of a community contribution. Simple, useful, straightforward and... free.

💡 One of these days, I caught myself thinking: why do we spend so much time revising system architecture in projects? Review is important, no doubt about it. But isn’t there a way to make the process more streamlined and objective? In my experience, every time I’ve used a clear method to define the architecture, everything flowed more smoothly: less rework, more productive discussions, and better alignment with colleagues and stakeholders. System architecture is the backbone of any project. When it’s well-planned, it reduces risks, organizes workflows, and ensures a more reliable and scalable system. I genuinely believe that investing in a well-defined methodology is one of the best ways to save time, improve efficiency, and—let’s be honest—spare a lot of patience. 👉 What about you? How do you approach system architecture in your projects? Let me know in the comments! #SystemsEngineering #SystemArchitecture #Reflection #ProjectManagement #Efficiency

An architect is the visionary who sees the full potential of a project, ensuring all components integrate seamlessly and support future growth. Without one, we risk building a structure on shaky ground, vulnerable to the ever-changing demands of technology and business. #softwareengineering #softwarearchitecture #integrationarchitect #enterprisearchitecture #solutionsarchitect

5 Essential Steps for Architecting Solutions 🌟 1. 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎 - Dive deep to grasp the core issues. 2. 𝑫𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 - Clearly outline what needs to be achieved. 3. 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒔 - Identify patterns that align with your goals. 4. 𝑬𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔 - Choose the right tools for the job. 5. 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 - Build, then assess, learn, and iterate. These steps serve as a compass guiding us through the intricate process of solution architecture, ensuring our journey from concept to completion is both innovative and efficient. For more insights like these and to dive deeper into the architect's mindset, check out "Developers Road Ahead" at https://lnkd.in/dmJw9ekT. #DevelopersRoadAhead #SolutionArchitecture #TechInnovation #SoftwareDevelopment #Architects #Technology #ProfessionalGrowth #selfhelp #proactive

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆. This phrase holds more than surface appeal. Why? Because architectural decisions are fundamentally about 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆. And as the old saying goes, 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺. As architects, we navigate the complex landscape between technical precision and business expectations. But here's the catch: business language is always about 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆. Thus, with business stakeholders we have to speak their language—focusing not just on how innovative or technically sound architecture is but on the costs and returns it brings. Stay transparent when shaping cloud-native solutions or optimizing legacy systems, as each decision affects the budget, timeline, and resource allocation. The most effective architects bridge the gap between technology and business. Don't just design systems. Create 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 that can be measured. #ArchitectureDecisions #TimeIsMoney #SoftwareArchitecture #SolutionArchitecture #FinOps #EnterpriseArchitecture

Remember those ivory towers where architects would sit far from development teams, handing down their sacred decisions? Unfortunately, this is still the case in many companies. I tried to fight that nonsense in every company I worked at. Why? This way as architects we slowly lose touch with tech, and developers become feature factories. Want better results? Let the entire development team own the architecture. Everyone gets a voice - no matter if someone is a junior, or senior. And there is no space for "ego" in the development team, "But that only works for small companies!" Nope. I have seen this work in small companies and large-scale organizations. Is it easy? Hell no. Worth it? Absolutely. The result? Faster developer growth, no knowledge silos, and teams that actually enjoy their work. Read more in today's newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dVrDgkeR