Want to be an Architect? Learn to think like one

So you are thinking about becoming an architect are you?  People often ask me how to become an architect.  My typical answer is that the best way to become an architect is to start acting like one.  To help you with this I spend my life interviewing architects around the world to understand the ways in which they work.

Image this…

You are asked to take a job as an architect for a company that has had a troubled past.  A strong legacy application was in place but the code base is getting very old and on a legacy platform.  The previous company leadership decided to take on the world by creating a new version in .NET that would support every database and would be so configurable that it could attack any market pitting you against the industry giants in your market.  After burning through all their VC investment the board dumps the leadership and brings on new talent.  You are the new chief architect.  What will you do?

Think about it for a minute.  The answer to this problem is not just technical.  There is a business strategy that must be worked out – you need to consult with the new CEO on the strategy.  What would your advice be?  How would it impact the architecture?  How would you move the team forward and deliver value quickly before you existing customer base is gone?

If you want to know some answers about how the real world company Pay Global handled these issues you ought to check out this episode. ARCast.TV - Recovery and Moving Forward - Pay Global

Start thinking like an architect and you will start acting like one.

Ron