The thing about architects is they often aren't bound by engineering realities. Let's take your analogy a little further... A builder could construct a small ho

The thing about architects is they often aren't bound by engineering realities. Let's take your analogy a little further... A builder could construct a small house, and they wouldn't be described as an architect. But if you want to build a skyscraper, you would hire a team of architects, engineering specialists, etc. The point is, the larger the project, the more important it is to invest in the right expertise at the beginning. The problem we have in software engineering is that successful projects almost never start from a position of major financial backing. Instead, the usual process is, start lean and cheap, hopefully gain traction, grow the product, get the investment, hire the talent. Honestly, I think it's a miracle if these types of projects are ever recovered.