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I am a Software Architect by title, but most of my work is finding the right people and pulling the right strings to get the job done. I force myself into cod

I am a Software Architect by title, but most of my work is finding the right people and pulling the right strings to get the job done. I force myself into coding at least 25% of time because I do not want to become one of those non-coding architects that everyone including themselves despises. You really can't just draw diagrams, write Software Architecture Documents and assume that what you do makes sense. Our minds have a tendency to wander off and need constant reality checks to operate properly. All comparisons to construction business are flawed, because Architects in the construction business have to navigate an entangled reality of regulatory work, client desires, supply chain considerations and all other real-world constraints. In contrast, Software Architects mostly work in a digital world where almost everything is possible. Their perception of reality drifts unless they fight the sensory deprivation with hands-on coding.

taylodl 4y ago
You seem to contradict yourself. You start off by noting all the non-technical constraints on a software architect and then say it's nothing like a construction architect by noting all their non-technical constraints. They seem to be very similar - balancing client desires vs. real-world constraints, because no, it is not the case that everything is possible with regards to software architecture. Software architects have to contend with processing constraints, memory constraints, networking constraints, process management and coordination constraints, and organizational constraints. Depending on the industry vertical you're in you may even have to contend with regulatory constraints.
- sam_lowry_ 4y ago
  Sure, there are real-world constraints in construction and in software, but the perception of constrants in software is different. One can totally skip reality checks in software, because there is more variety, more options, crazy amounts of money and general immaturity.

taylodl 4y ago

You seem to contradict yourself. You start off by noting all the non-technical constraints on a software architect and then say it's nothing like a construction architect by noting all their non-technical constraints. They seem to be very similar - balancing client desires vs. real-world constraints, because no, it is not the case that everything is possible with regards to software architecture. Software architects have to contend with processing constraints, memory constraints, networking constraints, process management and coordination constraints, and organizational constraints. Depending on the industry vertical you're in you may even have to contend with regulatory constraints.

sam_lowry_ 4y ago
Sure, there are real-world constraints in construction and in software, but the perception of constrants in software is different. One can totally skip reality checks in software, because there is more variety, more options, crazy amounts of money and general immaturity.