So

You Think You Might Be

an Architect
Sonya Natanzon
https://www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/BusinessAnalystHumor/tabid/
218/ID/3876/Software_Architecture_Recommendation_or.aspx

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon
Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon
Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon
 Software engineer ->
architect

About me Team lead

Healthcare vertical

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

 “Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the
great puzzle!”
― Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon
 Software Architect

People

Thought Technical

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

People Leadership
“A leader without followers is
simply a man talking walk.“
--Various Sources

People
Influence

Thought Technical

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Conway’s Law
Architect
Organizations which
design systems ... are
constrained to produce
designs which are copies Influences
of the communication
structures of these Architecture
Organization
organizations.
— M. Conway

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

“A leader without followers is
simply a man talking walk.“
― Various Sources

People
Share
Influence
Knowledge

Grow
Talent

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Skills

People
Share
Motivation
Influence
Knowledge

Grow
Coaching
Talent

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Skills

People
Share
Motivation
Influence Communication
Knowledge

Grow
Coaching
Talent

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon
 People
Functional
Management

Thought Technical

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

 Functional People
Management Leadership
influence
influence
Functional
Management
VS

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Technical Leadership
 People
Learn

Thought Technical

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

“Architecture is about the
important stuff. Whatever that
is.”
― Ralph Johnson

Build a Learn
scaffold

Technical
Select a
toolbox

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

 "All I Really Need To Know I
Learned in Kindergarten.“
Skills
― Robert Fulghum

Software
Build a 4 Cs
Learn
Engineering
scaffold

Technical
Select a
Analytical
toolbox

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

 People

Tactical
Thought Individual
Technical
Contributor

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

https://abstrusegoose.com/432

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

1. Proofs of Concepts 2. Pets 3. Project Rescues
Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon
Thought Leadership
“Plans are worthless, but
planning is everything.”
― Dwight D. Eisenhower

People
Evolve the
Big Picture

Thought Technical

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

 Champion
Evolve the Process
Big Picture

Thought

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

 “Culture eats strategy
for breakfast.”
― Peter Drucker

Champion
Evolve the Process
Big Picture

Thought Set Culture

and Values

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Skills

Change agent
Drive to
improve

Thought
Curiosity

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

 People

Ivory
Tower
Thought Technical
Architect

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon
 https://xkcd.com/1739/
Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon
 Problem
Definition
“Would you tell me, please,
which way I ought to go from
here?”
• Problem statement
“That depends a good deal on
• Supporting analysis
where you want to get to,” said
• As-is documentation
the Cat.
(diagrams!) --Lewis Carroll, Alice in
Wonderland
Problem
Solution Design
Definition

• Models and diagrams!

(To be documentation)
• Technology selection
• Proof of concept
• Ubiquitous language

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Problem
Solution Design Implementation
Definition

• API Definitions,
schemas, data models -
Scaffold
• Production grade code
• Changes to everything
done in the previous
phase(s)

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

 “The only constant in life is
change”
--Heraclitus

Problem
Solution Design Implementation Enhancement
Definition

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Making the Invisible Visible

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon

Summary
Leadership
• People
• Influence
• Share knowledge People
• Grow talent
• Technical
• Learn
• Build a scaffold
• Select a toolbox
• Thought Thought Technical
• Evolve the big picture
• Champion process
• Set culture and values

Sonya Natanzon www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzon