The Accidental Architect

I didn't set out to become an enterprise architect. For almost twenty years I was simply solving problems that didn't fit neatly into anyone else's job description. Somewhere along the way, someone I respected put a name to what I had been doing all along.

My career didn't follow a traditional path. I have some college but no degree, and my formal training had little to do with the work that followed. I learned by solving problems. Each new challenge became an excuse to learn another skill.

Early on, I realized I didn't want to specialize. Every new discipline I learned expanded the number of ways I could solve a problem. I wanted options more than expertise in a single technology.

Over time, I spent less time connecting systems and more time connecting people. I learned that the specialists do the real work. My role is to help them succeed by bringing the right people together, helping engineers build things they'll be proud of, and helping the business understand the trade-offs behind their decisions.

That eventually became enterprise architecture.

My definition of the role is pretty simple. Raise the craftsmanship of engineering. Be a trusted business partner. Help the organization understand the difference between what technology makes possible and what is worth doing. Every meaningful decision is a negotiation between value, cost, risk, time, and complexity.

Frameworks are useful. They give us a common vocabulary and preserve the lessons of those who came before us. I use them, and I respect them. At the end of the day, though, architecture is still about helping engineers build better systems and helping the business make better decisions.

- Will