Lever Talent, Inc.

As founder & CEO of Lever Talent, Inc. - the talent strategy agency - I get to lead our efforts to help leaders implement strategies to bring their best selves to work and take control of the biggest lever in business.

Our mission is to help leaders realize they are capable of more than they could ever imagine. We believe individuals make a business, not the other way around, and all business is personal.

The employee-employer relationship is broken. Thankfully, employees are gaining leverage. Innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and Web3 are shifting the power dynamic. We’re flipping the script by helping businesses lean into this shift - bringing humanity back to business in the future of work.

At Lever Talent, we help businesses deploy technology-enabled talent strategies that empower leaders to find leverage in themselves and their teams to spur growth in any market. Maximizing team performance while ensuring they maximize their greatest asset - their career.

We help with:

- Talent Strategy: We help leaders align their people strategy to their business strategy and accelerate growth with talent optimization.

- Career Development: We give people the training and coaching they need crush their current job and achieve their goals.

- Leadership Communities: We bring growth-minded leaders together to share ideas, learn from each other, and grow.

Detailed Services Overview:
- Leadership & Strategy Alignment Consulting
- Mission, Vision, Values & Culture Transformation
- Hiring Process and Strategy Consulting
- Management Training
- Leadership Coaching 
- Team Building Workshops
- Career Development Communities
- Employee Engagement / Performance 
- The Predictive Index Software sales and client service - we are a PI Certified Partner.

Founder & CEO

The Lever with Drew Fortin Show

With a goal to redefine your understanding of the future of work, "The Lever with Drew Fortin" launched on YouTube and your favorite podcast streaming app starting on August 7, 2023.

Over the first half of 2023, Connor Lewis, Executive Producer and founder of Studio Lewis, and I set out to find experts to dive deep, not just into the technology but its implications on our world of work, investment, academia, economics, and businesses.

There is a lot of fear-mongering out there on the rise of AI and robots are coming to take jobs. It's important to remember that every major platform shift before AI has led to more prosperity and further innovation. The Lever is designed to challenge current thinking and highlight the transformative effects of AI, robotics, and Web3 on the traditional employee-employer relationship. It emphasizes the good things these advancements mean for workers.

Each of the six episodes in Season 1 of The Lever is about 10-20 minutes long and is a carefully crafted composition of news, research, and expert commentary on future of work trends. With pre-drafted episode summaries in hand, we set out to interview leaders, innovators, and trailblazers across work tech, investing, academia, economics, and business. We then carefully analyzed 25 hours of footage and transcripts from 23 interviews and dozens of news and research articles to finalize the show scripts for Season 1.

Learn more 👉 Levershow.com

Co-creator, Host, and Future of Work Researcher

The Predictive Index

The Predictive Index (PI) is a private-equity-backed talent optimization software and services company.

I was promoted three times in my tenure:
- Chief Growth Officer 7/2021 - Present (1 yr)
- Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing 11/2018 – 7/2021 (2 yrs 9 mos)
- Vice President, Sales & Marketing 9/2017 - 11/2018 (1 yr 3 mos)
- Vice President, Marketing 5/2015 - 9/2017 (2 yrs 5 mos)

As Chief Growth Officer, I reported directly to the CEO and was responsible for maintaining their unified vision and go-to-market plans by keeping tight collaboration and cross-functional alignment - breaking down silos and challenging the status quo.

I was part of the senior leadership team since my start. We achieved over 550% revenue growth since 2015 (28% CAGR - breaking $100M ARR in 2022!), 100% growth in the paying subscriber base (achieving 11.5K), and 2,000% growth of the PI certified partner network (achieving 1.1K partner firms).

I led the development of our strategy to create the talent optimization (TO) category and evangelize the TO discipline, which led to the $50M growth equity investment from General Catalyst in 2019.

My charter was to navigate the transition from sales-led to product-led growth (PLG). We successfully launched our first PLG product in 2021 called PI Design - which quickly grew to 2K paying business subscribers and grew our client expansion billings over 50%. Followed by PI Hire and PI Diagnose in 2022.

I spent most of my time focused on PI’s long-term growth plan and goals to develop the TO category and remain the industry-leading SaaS platform. Healthy growth was the name of the game, so there was constant, necessary conflict to manage between long-term/short-term goals and results. (👈 That was the fun part. I love that stuff!)

I was extremely fortunate to work with a dream team of direct reports who led our sales, partner recruitment & activation, demand generation, product marketing, brand, and content marketing functions (of 100 PIoneers).

Chief Growth Officer

In Confidence Podcast

Difficult co-worker? Meddling micromanager? Tough team? Sabotaging self-talk? No doubt, work perpetually challenges everyone’s confidence causing us to feel uncomfortable, unworthy, and unengaged. Get science-backed confidence coaching from two of the best in the biz.

I co-hosted this leadership and personal growth show with Alyssa Dver of the American Confidence Institute. We take calls from real callers and help them work through workplace issues that are getting in the way of them being their best.

Podcast Host

PennySaver USA

The California PennySaver was a local advertising and classified media icon from 1962-2015. I joined at a time of great risk and change - we had the strategy to introduce digital products to fill the ever-growing void created by declining print ad revenues. It was my first executive leadership position reporting directly to the CEO. We were generating $175M in annual sales revenues from 12K business clients and millions of consumer classified ads. 

While there, I led a strategic revamp of our full-service local digital marketing and SaaS website service to a monthly subscription model, integrated 3rd party applications, and kicked off a 3rd Party Reseller Program that increased our growth rate 90%. We also introduced new digital ad products on our classifieds website, which grew revenue from our online listings & classified product by 100%.

I managed many different teams of many shapes and sizes - including a field sales team, product management, engineering, development, and design teams in Poland, India, and Arkansas. I also set up and managed our strategic partnerships with companies like Google, Bing, and Yext.

In 2013, I was tasked with downsizing efforts, restructuring, and assisted the company through a pitch and spin-off of ownership from Harte-hanks, our parent company, to any acquiring private equity firm. Although it was an amazing learning opportunity, I was exposed to the dark side of business when our owners shut the company down in 2015 with little notice - they were subsequently sued for not providing proper notice before firing hundreds of employees.

Vice President, Marketing & Digital

HubSpot

The growth and success we were achieving at Compete caught the eyeballs of HubSpot's CMO and I and jumped at the opportunity to join this growth-stage SaaS start-up on their marketing team. Although brief (the team dynamic was admittedly not for me!), I learned so much and made long-lasting relationships.

We were able to grow our already gargantuan monthly lead flow by 20% while I was there to 45K leads. I managed all of our advertising and search marketing. I implemented mobile marketing, affiliate marketing, and ad retargeting programs. I also wrote a lot of content and held presentations to educate our users on topics that were near and dear to me like SEO, search engine marketing, and content generation. 

Check out this top-ranking article I wrote when I was there (which was accompanied by a 20+ page guide I also wrote) been since been updated several times and generated thousands of views and leads.

Inbound Marketing Manager - Advertising Programs Lead

Compete, Inc.

Compete was a competitive web analytics start-up co-founded by David Cancel (current CEO and co-founder of Drift). I joined as their first dedicated marketing manager responsible for running demand gen programs for their SaaS start-up product called Compete PRO (competitive intelligence and market research tool). This was product-led growth before product-led growth was cool! I reported directly to the GM of Compete PRO. 

The freemium client firehose was on and the problem of the day was figuring out how to convert this free client base into paid subscriptions and monetize our products. 

I created a multi-channel marketing and go-to-market strategy that leveraged our brand strength in the marketing technology space (we had an AdAge Top 25 ranked marketing blog) across all digital channels.

In less than a year, we grew our freemium base 83% to 220K accounts and increased free to paid conversions by 30%+! The result was 50% growth to $6M ARR while maintaining 85% retention rate - this was in 2010! 

Compete was acquired by WPP's Millward Brown Digital, formerly Kantar, formerly TNS just as I started there. The Compete PRO product was eventually folded into other products and assets were sold off as M&A activity evolved.

See the attached presentation I prepared and presented at a Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (aka MassTLC) meeting in 2010.

Senior Manager, Internet Marketing (SaaS)

Staples

I developed and executed growth strategies to drive e-commerce sales and revenue on Staples.com. This was a very exciting time in retail and e-commerce. Staples.com generated about $500M in annual revenues from over 30K+ products - it was one of the world's largest online retailers at the time. Amazon was starting to gain traction and disrupt, but no one had a clue just how significant and transformational the rise of e-commerce would be.

This was also the beginning of the SEO movement. I had the unique opportunity to spearhead Staples.com's first SEO task force. We met regularly to talk about how to implement site-wide optimizations and execute a transformational strategy to democratizing our product data. 

I also managed our affiliate marketing and comparison shopping engine programs which generated over $60M in annual revenues. We had over 1,000 affiliate publisher websites. 
 
I quickly fell in love with web analytics and learned about website architecture, programming, and merchandising products online. I became obsessed with digital marketing, analysis, and growth modeling and projections.

Online Marketing Manager - Staples.com

Online Marketing Specialist - Staples.com

Corporate Communications Coordinator - Staples Copy & Print Center

Picture this… I had just graduated with my music degree, I landed an interim choir director gig at my old high school. I was in a band and we played many times a week. I needed health insurance, so picked up a shift at my local Staples store in Acton, MA (Store #1219) in their copy and print center. 

I’ve always been infatuated with business (I set up our band as a general partnership, ran our books, and admin stuff). I quickly became passionate about running this copy and print center too.

When my choir gig was up I became manager of the copy and print center. I had my own $650K P&L. I managed a small team. I ran the business, kept the engine humming, went knocking on doors to increase business, managed the books, ordered supplies, covered gaps in shifts, etc.

This was truly an amazing experience that led me to becoming an assistant store manager and attracted the eyeballs of our corporate offices.

Assistant Store Manager

Founder & CEO @ Lever Talent | Host of The Lever Show | Helping leaders develop talent strategies that leverage a tech-empowered future.

You're capable of more than you could ever imagine.

I started my career impatient, driven, and naive - pushing hard to climb the corporate ladder and eventually found myself fired from a highly coveted growth-stage start-up in my mid-20s. 

That moment sent me on a journey of self-discovery. I realized I'm a fixer, visionary leader, relationship builder, and goal setter. I’m fascinated by the human condition and the impact that technology is having on humans at work.  

Innovations in AI, robotics, and web3 stand to scale our potential, strengthen our superpowers, and free us up to focus on the more human elements of work. Over the last 20 years, I've learned that if you paint an inspiring vision, surround yourself with people you admire and trust, and embrace technology, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can grow.  

In 2022, I decided to follow my passion and became the Founder & CEO of Lever Talent, Inc. - the talent strategy agency. I spend my time helping business leaders deploy talent strategies and tools to find leverage in themselves and their teams to spur growth in any market. Join the movement at levertalent.com. 

I use my LinkedIn to network, learn from others, and share any wisdom I've gained along the way.  

With technology, our leverage is limitless. Let's embrace and change the world. ⚡️🌎 

Specialties: Talent Strategy, Growth Leadership, Cultural Transformation, Mission Vision Values, Team Building, Talent Optimization, Go-to-Market Strategy, Digital Transformation, Consulting, The Predictive Index, Engagedly

Drew Fortin

I’ve seen a lot of posts from leaders talking about how hard layoffs are for them.

They’re right, it is brutal to sit across from someone and tell them their job is gone. 

I’ve done it more than once. It never gets easier.

But here’s what I don’t see enough of: 

Acknowledgment that the person being let go has it far, far harder.

They’re the ones facing an insurance crisis, mortgage payments, daycare costs, food bills, and the emotional gut-punch of losing purpose overnight.

As leaders, we talk a lot about empathy and “doing it the right way.” 

But if we’re being honest, most layoff comms are designed to protect the company’s emotions, not the individual’s livelihood.

We’ll say things like “this was the hardest decision I’ve ever made” while the person we’re letting go is quietly wondering how to tell their family.

Layoffs are sometimes necessary. But if you have to do them, don’t center your pain.

Center their reality.

If you’ve ever had to do layoffs, reflect on this:

Who carried the real weight of that moment, you or them?

Founder & CEO @ Lever Talent | SHRM-SCP | Helping leaders develop talent strategies that leverage a tech-empowered future.

Amazon doesn’t pretend to have a great culture.

That’s exactly why their strategy works.

Andy Jassy has been blunt: automation is driving results, and they’re doubling down on it.

This shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Amazon’s culture has never been warm and fuzzy; it’s designed for efficiency, precision, and relentless execution.

And for them, that alignment works.

Where leaders go wrong is pretending their company can act like Amazon but feel like Patagonia.

You can’t build a cutthroat, hyper-optimized operating model and then talk about “psychological safety” and “belonging” like it’s in your blood.

If your business is tightening up, getting lean, and optimizing for efficiency, own it.

If you’re trying to grow through experimentation and empowerment, build the space for that.

But don’t sell one and live the other.

No, your coworkers are not your family. 

And the “workplace family” is one of the biggest lies we keep telling ourselves.

Sociologist Sarah Mosseri’s new book, Trust Fall, takes that myth head-on, and I’m here for it.

For decades, leaders have used “we’re a family” as shorthand for belonging, loyalty, and trust. 

But as Mosseri’s research shows, it’s often a cover for imbalance: companies say “family,” but act like corporations.

Her work reminded me of how often I see teams confuse trust with comfort.

True trust is risky and vulnerable. It means giving people the freedom to question the system without being punished for it.
 
Most workplace "families" rally during a crisis, “bond in the trenches,” and call it teamwork, but never stop to ask why they're always in crisis. 

That’s a leadership problem, not a culture win.

The best workplaces are communities built on shared accountability and mutual respect.

If you have to call it a family to keep people around, you’ve already lost their trust.

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Talks about #culture, #leadership, #futureofwork, #humanresources, and #transformation

No one cares more about your career than you do.

It is the single greatest asset you own.

Yet most people treat it like a group project, waiting for someone else to tell them what’s next.

Promotions, stretch projects, mentorship, even recognition, none of it just happens because you deserve it. 

It happens because you’ve made it clear what you want and you’ve done the work to prove it.

If you haven’t taken the time to define your next move, no one’s coming to do it for you.

And if you haven’t told anyone what you actually want, don’t be shocked when the world stays quiet.

When you do speak it out loud, when you say “this is what I want, this is who I’m becoming,” the universe starts to rearrange itself around you.

So stop waiting for permission.

Own your path.

Your next chapter starts when you decide what you want.

I wish someone had told me that in my 20s.

So I’ll tell you:

Don’t outsource your trajectory. You own the asset, so start managing it that way.

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Every leader should be able to say:

"Here’s what I’m great at, and here's where I need help.”

Imagine if every team normalized that kind of honesty. 

No need to guess, just strengths out in the open and gaps named for what they are.

Success doesn’t come from trying to be great at everything. 

It comes from doubling down on what makes you exceptional and building systems that let others do the same.

It's common knowledge that the best athletes don’t play every sport. They find the one that amplifies their strengths, and they go all in.

The same goes for leaders. 

As technology evolves and AI expands, being more human is becoming a leadership advantage.

The future belongs to teams that know themselves deeply, celebrate their natural talents, and build around them.

Let’s start with transparency and build well-aligned teams.

AI layoffs are a cop-out.

Let’s stop pretending otherwise.

The economy’s rough right now.

So when I see companies announcing “AI-driven layoffs,” I can’t help but roll my eyes.

No one’s getting a commensurate productivity lift from AI in 2025 or 2026 for that matter. 

At least not yet.

What we are seeing is leaders using AI as the scapegoat to justify tough calls they don’t want to own.

“I’m sorry, it’s just automation.” No, it’s economics.

AI will absolutely reshape jobs and displace workers. It’s already changing how we work and what value humans bring.

But most of these cuts have nothing to do with true AI efficiency. They’re about maintaining needed profitability in a weak market.

And when leaders hide behind “AI transformation” instead of admitting that, they erode trust even faster.

Let’s be honest with our people.

Let’s say, “The market sucks right now, and we have to make hard choices to survive.”

Because the story of AI shouldn’t be about fear and headcount cuts.

It should be about how we redesign work to make humans more valuable than ever.

Everyone says the hardest part of layoffs is losing people.

No one talks about what it’s like to be the one who stays.

Some folks in my network shared what it’s like to “survive” multiple rounds. There’s the obvious: survivor’s guilt.

But then there’s the post-anxiety layoff that no one really talks about.

Because the truth is, no matter how loyal you are to the mission, surviving multiple RIFs changes you.

You might still want to help the company rebound, but once people start scanning for exits, the culture’s already cracked.

Culture doesn’t survive that kind of fear intact. In many cases, you have to rebuild from scratch.

And this is where most companies overcorrect.

They double down on wellness, celebrate using PTO, and hang posters that say “It’s okay to not be okay.”

The intention is good, but it becomes the new avoidance strategy. If everyone’s recovering, no one’s building.

Healthy organizations don’t glorify burnout, but they also don’t treat ambition like a bad habit.

Real balance means creating an environment where people want to give their best because they believe the effort still matters.

If you want your people to stop running scared, give them something they can't help but run toward.

A lot of companies are only adding AI to their title because it makes for a better headline.

And honestly, that’s not a bad thing. AI holds massive promise. 

And if you’re not actively adopting AI tools and building your company’s AI fluency, you’re falling behind. 

AI is a huge opportunity. The issue is that most companies are chasing “AI strategy decks” instead of asking better questions like:

- How can we use AI to optimize what already works?

- Where can it automate the repetitive stuff so our people can focus on higher-value work?

- How do we teach our teams to experiment and adapt as AI tech evolves?

That last one is key.

HR has a huge role to play here.

AI is an organizational change problem, and right now, HR is being asked to lead that charge, often without the tools, confidence, or seat at the table they deserve.

Now’s the time to use AI as the catalyst to build a culture of learning, agility, and human adaptability.

It’s the basic, day-to-day work of evolving how we work with AI that actually paves the way for the kind of strategic, differentiated applications everyone’s chasing.

Because the future of leadership is about using technology to help humans become more capable, creative, and resilient than ever.

Empathy became the new performance metric.

And now no one knows how to say the hard stuff.

Since COVID, we’ve seen a cultural overcorrection. And somewhere along the way, performance and clarity got left behind.

Caring for people doesn’t mean cushioning them from reality. 

We still operate in a capitalist system. Companies exist to grow, compete, and win. 

When your culture forgets that, it starts to drift.

You can feel it when a company faces tough calls, layoffs, restructures, and missed targets. 

Suddenly, people are shocked. Disillusioned. “Wait, how could this happen?”

Because no one said the hard stuff when it mattered.

Strong cultures don’t hide from reality. They help people understand the business, the risks, and the road ahead.

And it falls on leaders to do two things at once:

1) Build a humane culture that treats people like adults.
2) Stay ruthlessly focused on the strategic imperatives of the business.

Empathy matters. But empathy without clarity only creates confusion.

Specialization is killing innovation in HR Tech.

For 15 years, HR leaders have been told to “find their niche.”

Hyper-specification was the smart move. Now, they’re paying for it.

Last week, a digital marketing partner told me,

“You call yourselves a full-service talent strategy agency, but no one else does that.”

Exactly.

Because the industry has spent a decade unbundling itself into a thousand micro-experts.

Now we’re entering the great rebundling.

Just like streaming: first came Netflix, then the flood, now everyone’s craving cable again.

HR is no different.

Leaders don’t want 10 vendors solving 10% of the problem.

What they really want is one partner who can help them with the whole system, not just a piece of it.

That’s why we built Lever Talent, Inc. as a full-service talent strategy agency.

Whether you need cultural transformation, org design, leadership training, fractional HR support, or HR software management, you can start small and scale with us.

If your company vanished overnight and you had to rebuild it tomorrow…

Would your org chart look the same?

Now imagine applying that to your workforce strategy.

If you were starting your company today, in a world of AI agents, async collaboration, and 10x productivity per person, how would you design your org?

Would you still define “manager” the same way?

Most wouldn’t.

And that’s the point. 

We’ve built orgs layer by layer for decades,  adding roles, tools, and policies like barnacles on a ship, without ever scraping them off to see if the structure still floats.

A “zero-based” approach to human capital would force us to rethink how work actually gets done now.

If you’re not familiar, it’s when companies start their budgets from scratch every year.

No “last year plus 10%.”

It’s a thought experiment worth doing, especially for HR and people leaders trying to design the next era of work.

If you were rebuilding your org from zero today, what would you keep… and what would you leave behind?

Everyone loves to say HR is “slow to adopt AI.”

HR is the only team smart enough to ask what happens after the adoption.

This is the function responsible for compliance, documentation, process, and most importantly, people. 

Of course, they’re going to measure twice and cut once. That’s our responsibility.

AI is moving so fast that “measured” can start to look like “left behind” if leaders don’t stay curious.

Every HR leader I talk to should be getting fluent in the language of AI right now.

The HR leaders who figure out how to make AI work for people are the ones every CEO will want on their team.

We’re already seeing it in logistics, where people collaborate with software and robots every day. 

That’s just the beginning.

HR’s role in the AI era isn’t to keep up.

It’s to lead the integration responsibly, strategically, and humanely.

Stop saying “AI won’t replace you; someone who knows AI will.”

That’s not true.

If 15% of your workforce gets cut overnight, it’s not because every manager suddenly became a prompt engineer. 

It’s because the CFO did the math.

Tenure, pay bands, performance stack ranking… that’s the calculus, not who’s best at ChatGPT.

Yes, AI is replacing people. But not in the way LinkedIn gurus want to sell it.

It’s commoditizing everything except distinctly human ability.

So yes, AI will force displacement.

But what it’s really forcing is a reckoning with what makes us valuable in the first place.

You don’t survive this shift by becoming “AI fluent.”

You survive by becoming more human than ever.

If a candidate’s first touch is a faceless agent, you just told them exactly how much you value people: not much. 

Automation is efficient. But hiring isn’t a spreadsheet exercise.

Candidates want speed and someone accountable for decisions that shape their careers.

Tech is not strategy. People still are.

As someone obsessed with what AI and robotics mean for the employer–employee relationship, I’ll die on this hill: 

The more tech we adopt, the more our differentiator becomes distinctly human judgment, trust, context, and dignity.

If you’re racing toward “AI-run hiring by 2026,” start here:

1) Human decides, AI informs. 

Use models to structure, summarize, and surface signals. Final calls belong to accountable humans.

2) Radical transparency. 

Tell candidates where/when AI is used and how it influences outcomes. No black boxes. (Trust is the currency.)

3) Bias isn’t “fixed,” it’s governed. 

Treat bias as a system problem: data audits, adverse-impact monitoring, and escalation paths that real people own.

4) And most importantly: Train the humans. 

Most teams don’t know what “AI skills” even means. Make fluency part of manager enablement and recruiter craft.

I’m not anti-AI. I’m anti-abdication.

You didn’t hire more people to slow things down...

But that’s exactly what happened.

Scaling should make things smoother, but it rarely does. The habits that helped you win early on don’t serve you later.

When companies start, they’re agile, experimental, and fueled by belief.

Then, they hit product-market fit. Now they’re in growth mode. 

That’s when process, discipline, and focus take over. Meetings multiply, and decisions slow.

The business becomes about precision: tightening systems, reducing errors, building consistency.

But when you over-optimize for process, you lose the agility that made you successful in the first place.

At a certain point, you need to redesign how your organization works.

At Lever Talent, Inc., we use the Competing Values Framework to help companies do exactly that.

If your team feels stuck in “slow motion growth,” this is your signal to recalibrate.

Because every stage requires a different kind of leadership, culture, and operating model.

CEO turnover is spiking in 2025, and it’s not because CEOs are failing. 

It’s because the job changed faster than they did.

New data shows high-performing companies are now almost just as likely to replace their CEO as underperformers. 

In the S&P 500, 2025 turnover in the top three performance quartiles hit 12%, nearly matching the bottom quartile at 14%.

Boards aren’t waiting for a downturn or a misstep. They’re finally acknowledging what many of us inside organizations have felt for years:

AI transformation is reshaping every role, and yesterday’s leadership profile doesn’t map to tomorrow’s demands.

The leadership equation has shifted: agility, digital fluency, and stakeholder orchestration now matter more than tenure.

That's why external CEO appointments nearly doubled this year. 

If the last few years taught us anything, it’s that strategy fails when leadership, structure, and decision-making can’t keep pace. 

The companies built for the future are the ones redesigning leadership for it, before the market forces them to.

And if your org isn’t building future-ready leaders, your board will go shopping for one.

Most companies hide bad news.

Amazon broadcasts it, and it wins them loyalty. 

When they make tough calls like layoffs, restructures, or pivots, it’s rarely a surprise.

Internal memos are written for public consumption. Leaders get out ahead, set expectations, and communicate the why behind the what.

That doesn’t make it easy. But it does make it clear.

Most leaders think people can handle bad news. What they can’t handle is being blindsided.

Trust isn’t built on inspirational speeches or glossy “values” slides.

It’s built when your team sees your strategy in action, and when your decisions line up with the story you’ve been telling all along.

So, before your next big announcement, ask yourself:

Have we shown the team how our strategy is actually working?
Are we building trust through clarity, or confusion through silence?

Trust isn’t a communications exercise.

It’s a pattern of visible alignment between what you say and what you do.

SHRM tried to teach authenticity.

Now it’s being called out for faking it.

You can teach compliance, frameworks, and best practices all day long… but if the people leading the charge aren’t living it, the whole thing collapses.

An organization built to help HR leaders model inclusion and trust… now under fire for failing at both.

That’s a strategy issue.

I say this as someone who went through SHRM certification.

The material’s solid, and the intent is good. But it reinforced something I already believed:

HR is not the star of the show.

The best HR leaders are the supporting cast, the ones who make everyone else better.

Your job isn’t to make HR “matter.” It’s to make the business unstoppable.

So when I see stories like this, I don’t pile on.

I just hope someone inside remembers: 

Your credibility isn’t earned through policy or optics; it’s earned by aligning words, actions, and outcomes.

And right now, HR as a profession needs that alignment more than ever.

The biggest mistake businesses make about their AI strategy?

Is thinking they need one.

AI isn’t something you strategize for, it’s something you adapt to.

AI is evolving faster than any strategy document can keep up.

If you are a business, your strategy needs to be about how your organization adapts to it:

- How you experiment.
- How you absorb what works.
- How you can exploit it for strategic differentiation.
- How you operationalize it into how you build, decide, and lead.

This is why HR is suddenly at the center of the AI conversation,  helping the business get good at change.

AI’s showing up in every board meeting, every strategy deck, every investor call. 

The market’s on fire with it, even while the workforce feels the drag of uncertainty.

So here’s my take:

Stop trying to make a “five-year AI plan.”

Start building a system for transformation, one that helps your people, your leaders, and your org evolve as fast as the technology does.

With extensive experience in IT Technology Leadership, Enterprise Architecture, and IT Management, I have committed my career to advancing innovation and driving impactful transformation. As a Technology Architect at IAG Transform, I play a critical role in shaping digital transformation, aligning technology strategies with business goals, and implementing innovative, scalable solutions.

My expertise lies in navigating the complexities of enterprise IT to deliver secure, maintainable, and future-ready systems that meet strategic objectives. I am passionate about harnessing digital capabilities to redefine business landscapes, fostering agility, innovation, and sustainable growth.

Beyond technical expertise, I excel at building strong relationships, influencing stakeholders, and promoting best practices to ensure excellence in digital solutions. My leadership is driven by a dedication to bridging the gap between technology and business, empowering organizations to achieve their strategic vision.

Nadzeya Stalbouskaya

𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.
Some milestones don’t need celebration. They need reflection. When I started writing here, I didn’t plan to “grow an audience.” I just wanted to talk about the things that truly matter: architecture that serves people, not process; AI that empowers, not replaces; transformation that starts with understanding, not slogans.

10,000 people now follow this journey and that means 𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 about how we build better enterprises, smarter systems, and more human technology.

If I’ve learned anything from these interactions, it’s this:
🔵 Architecture isn’t a document. It’s a dialogue.
🔵 Growth isn’t about visibility. It’s about connection.
🔵 And real influence starts where authenticity replaces perfection.

To everyone who reads, comments, challenges, and inspires. Thank you.
Let’s keep building the invisible architecture of understanding, one post at a time.

#TechnologyArchitect #EnterpriseArchitecture #Leadership #Followers

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Technology Architect at IAG Transform | Architecture Debt Advocate | Enterprise Architecture | SAP | Data & AI & Innovation | Digital Transformation

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴
Many architects think strategically. But the best ones build strategically.
Architecture starts with insight understanding complex systems, connecting dependencies, and framing opportunities hidden in the noise.

But insight alone doesn’t change anything. Execution does.

Strategic thinking defines why and where we move. Architectural doing defines how we make it real.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘶𝘴:
🔹 See the system as a whole
🔹 Anticipate risks before they become failures
🔹 Design roadmaps that inspire clarity

But doing is what transforms architecture from slides to impact:
🔹 Aligning people and priorities
🔹 Driving coordinated change across domains
🔹 Turning governance into action, not paperwork

Too often, architects stop at the “thinking” stage and their ideas stay trapped in diagrams instead of becoming results.

The truth is: architecture is not only a blueprint, it’s a movement. And every strategy needs a builder brave enough to lead it.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨?

#EnterpriseArchitecture #Leadership #Strategy #ArchitectureGovernance

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀: 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝘀
Ever been handed a “reference architecture” and asked to “just implement it”? Spoiler: it’s a 𝙢𝙖𝙥, not a 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝗽𝘁. The value isn’t in copying boxes; it’s in adapting them to your terrain.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗱𝗼:
✔️ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀. Use EA guardrails as constraints before picking tools.
✔️ 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲. Functional + nonfunctional → what must be true?
✔️ 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳. Treat the Reference Architecture Brief as a blueprint template, not gospel.
✔️ 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀. You rarely need everything in the diagram.
✔️ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 & 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Choose the ones that move your specific outcomes.
✔️ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. Then and only then select products.
✔️ 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Intent, trade-offs, and why you didn’t choose alternatives.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄:
Enterprise tech spans 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖/𝘼𝙄, 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 & 𝙄𝘼𝙈, 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙨, 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙧𝙖 & 𝙤𝙥𝙨. A shared top-level map aligns teams and slashes “architecture by PowerPoint” drift.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽: Use the 𝗚𝗮𝘇𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 (𝘅𝗹𝘀𝘅) to search components/subcomponents across Briefs. It’s a fast way to sanity-check coverage and avoid blind spots.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘮?

#EnterpriseArchitecture #ReferenceArchitecture #TechStrategy #Gartner

𝟭𝟬 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆
Some architects stand out. Not because they know more frameworks, but because they think differently.

Enterprise Architecture isn’t just about systems, it’s about perspective.
The best architects don’t follow instructions, they question, connect, and redefine them.

Here are 10 habits that separate great architects from the rest:

1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. They challenge assumptions and never accept “that’s how it works” as an answer.
Pro tip: Ask “What if this dependency didn’t exist?”

2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲. Every broken integration or failed pilot is data.
Pro tip: After each project, write down what you learned not what you lost.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. They invite challenges from business, data, and operations. because friction sharpens clarity.
Pro tip: Ask a non-technical colleague to critique your diagram.

4️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆. They translate jargon into decisions people actually understand.
Pro tip: If you can’t explain your architecture on one slide, you don’t fully understand it.

5️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗨𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝘁𝘀. They see links between data governance and culture, or between APIs and behavior.
Innovation often happens at the intersections.

6️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁. They think in decades, not sprints.
Pro tip: Revisit your architectural decisions every quarter are they aging well?

7️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆. Architecture requires clarity. They say no to noise.
Pro tip: Block deep-thinking hours before meetings take over your week.

8️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Growth lives in ambiguity.
Pro tip: Join discussions outside your domain: AI, ethics, or even psychology.

9️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Reflection is part of the job. It’s how frameworks become insight.
Pro tip: Schedule 30 minutes of “architecture thinking” every morning no tools, no Teams.

🔟 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀. Because architecture without action is just theory.
Pro tip: If an idea takes less than two hours to test, do it today.

The best architects don’t just build systems. They build ways of thinking that change how organizations make sense of complexity.

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧?

#ArchitectureThinking #Transformation #Strategy #Innovation

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀
Most architectures fail long before they reach production.
Not because of tools. Not because of technology.
But because what we call “architecture” often isn’t architecture at all.

🔴 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗳. It hides behind frameworks, buzzwords, and diagrams that create the illusion of structure, but lack substance.

🔴 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻. “We will enable digital transformation” is not architecture, it’s a wish. Architecture starts when you define how and through what systems, data, and governance make that transformation real.

🔴 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲. If you can’t define the problem, you can’t design a solution. Too many architectures start with technology instead of diagnosis.

So, what does good architecture look like?

🟢 𝗔 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀. It defines the business problem, simplifies complexity, and identifies the true constraints.

🟢 𝗔 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆. A coherent architectural direction: principles, target states, and decisions that respond directly to the problem.

🟢 𝗔 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Concrete, measurable design steps that connect systems, teams, and outcomes, not just documents.

Good architecture is not about producing diagrams.
It’s about making real choices, managing real constraints, and creating real impact.

𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴, 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵?

#ArchitectureThinking #Leadership #Transformation #ArchitectureDebt

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆
Architecture debt doesn’t roar.
It whispers.

It starts as “temporary.”
A quick decision to meet a deadline.
A skipped review.
A missing principle document.
An integration without context.

And then one day, you look around and realize your architecture no longer reflects your business.
You’ve built layers of decisions, but no clarity.
You’ve optimized for delivery, not direction.

That’s how architecture debt grows.
Not in code, but in silence.
In the gap between what we design and what we govern.
In the moments we say “we’ll align later.”

Technical debt slows developers.
Architecture debt slows entire organizations.
It weakens governance, clouds priorities, and hides risks behind the illusion of progress.

That’s why 𝗜 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘆: 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮.

You don’t fix it with tools, you fix it with visibility, ownership, and discipline.
You measure it, you make it visible, and you pay it down 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁, 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Because the truth is the debt monster never disappears.
You just learn to live with it, control it, and make sure it works for you, not against you.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 — 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘀.
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁 — 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺? 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵? 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺? 𝘖𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥?

#ArchitectureDebt #Governance #DigitalTransformation #Resilience

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼 (𝘃𝟭.𝟬). 𝟴 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗠𝗲
When I shared “The Enterprise Architecture Manifesto (v1.0)”, I didn’t expect what happened next.
Hundreds of architects joined the conversation not to argue, but to rebuild what architecture really means.
https://lnkd.in/dVFEJ_A5

After reading 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 300 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, here’s what I’ve learned from the collective mind of our community:
1️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 — Transparency isn’t a soft value. It’s the foundation of every architectural decision that earns respect.

2️⃣ 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 — Architecture isn’t about enforcing one path. It’s about creating space for meaningful choices.

3️⃣ 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 — The real power of architecture lies in making things understandable. “Clarity entropy” happens when alignment fades.

4️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 — Tools evolve. Thinking endures. True transformation starts when we move from methods to mindset.

5️⃣ 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 — The best architectures are built around humans, not diagrams. Collaboration is the new control.

6️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — Architecture is how organizations regain shared understanding when everything starts drifting apart.

7️⃣ 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — Change doesn’t have to destroy. It can design the future consciously — with purpose and resilience.

8️⃣ 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 — There’s no single manifesto to rule them all. Every organization deserves its own version, its own architectural DNA.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘌𝘈 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰 𝘷2.0 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺?

#EAManifesto #ArchitectureCommunity #Leadership #DigitalTransformation

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗪𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴
We talk a lot about architecture. Vision. Principles. Roadmaps. Governance. Transformation.

But something keeps breaking. Again and again.

You can have the best frameworks, the clearest standards, and a beautiful target architecture and still fail to deliver impact.

The missing link?
Not tools.
Not diagrams.
Not technology.
Architectural competency.

Architecture doesn’t fail because people don’t know what to build, it fails because they can’t connect ambition to execution across the enterprise.

The weakest link in most transformations is the human capability to:
🔹 Grasp complex realities (not just models)
🔹 Shape bold yet feasible futures (not just visions)
🔹 Move systems and people (without authority)
🔹 Deliver under pressure (without losing structure)
🔹 Adapt in real time (without losing direction)

These aren’t tasks, they’re competencies.
And most organizations don’t develop them intentionally.

That’s why architectures break not because they’re designed poorly,
but because the organization isn’t ready to act strategically through architecture.

Because no matter how advanced your framework is, if the people using it can’t connect vision, governance, and delivery, your architecture will remain just another diagram.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘐𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧?

#Strategy #Transformation #ArchitectureThinking #ArchitectureGovernance

𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲
For years, architecture was built on hard skills: frameworks, integrations, diagrams, and governance models.
Then came the rise of soft skills: communication, collaboration, empathy.

Both are still essential. But neither is enough anymore.
Because today’s architects do more than build systems they lead complexity.

To navigate the digital enterprise, we need a third layer of mastery: Power Skills.
The skills that bridge strategy, people, and technology and turn vision into measurable impact.

𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰:
🔹 Move from solution delivery to enterprise integration
🔹 Translate complexity into clarity
🔹 Drive innovation and resilience instead of just change
🔹 Shape architecture governance that accelerates, not restricts
🔹 Lead with influence, not hierarchy

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵:
💡 Hard skills build the system.
💬 Soft skills build the trust.
⚙️ Power skills build the transformation.

They’re not “nice to have” anymore they’re what separates architecture as a function from architecture as a force.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 “𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭” 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺?𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦?

#Leadership #Strategy #Transformation #PowerSkills #ArchitectureCommunity

𝟵𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆
Let’s be honest.
Most failed transformations didn’t collapse because AWS was wrong.
Or because the target state was wrong.
Or because the integration pattern was wrong.

They failed because of something much simpler: 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙙, 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙, 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙, 𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙.

In 10 years of architectural work, I’ve seen this pattern again and again:
✔️ Brilliant solution, but unclear ownership.
✔️ Beautiful target architecture, but no buy-in.
✔️ Strong governance, but nobody follows it.
✔️ Perfect roadmap, but no communication.
✔️ Excellent business case, but weak sponsorship.
✔️ Approved strategy, but zero change management.

Technology rarely fails on its own.
Organizations do.

That’s why the best architects today are not just technologists.
They are facilitators.
Translators.
Conflict-resolvers.
Storytellers.
Strategists.
Sometimes psychologists.
Sometimes diplomats.
Always leaders.

My favorite quote: “𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨. 𝙀𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨.”

If we want architectures that live, not just exist on slides:
✔️ communicate early, simply, and continuously
✔️ drive cross-team alignment
✔️ build trust
✔️ explain WHY, not only WHAT
✔️ focus on readiness
✔️ manage change as much as design systems

Modern architecture is 50% design and 50% people.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦-𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵?

#enterprisearchitecture #leadership #architecturecommunity #strategicthinking

I’m pleased to share my latest article for Iasa Global’s Architecture & Governance Magazine The EA Manifesto: The Human Side of Enterprise Architecture. 

Why write a manifesto for enterprise architecture (EA)? Because as architects, we often get awash in frameworks, standards, models and yet what really matters is why we do what we do. The article invites us to shift focus from “how” and “what” to “why”, to ask: What values, beliefs and human-centric principles underpin our work?

Key reflections include:
Transparency over comfort: Architectural decisions aren’t worth much if they aren’t understood and trusted. 

People over technology: Ultimately, architecture is about humans, not just systems. 

Clarity over complexity: Complexity might be unavoidable, but not always necessary. Simplify for comprehension and value. 

Evolution over revolution: We build the future by growing it, not by tearing down the present. 

Principles over frameworks: Tools and methodologies matter, but what matters more is the mindset behind them. 


For those of us leading architecture practices, overseeing platform delivery, or simply wrestling with architectural debt and digital transformation-fatigue (yes, I see you 😉), these themes matter. They help restore meaning, link architecture to business purpose, and make our work less about enforcement and more about enablement.

👉 If you’ve ever felt that your architecture efforts become “check-boxes” rather than “change catalysts”, this one’s for you.
👉 If you lead or work alongside architects and want a fresh perspective on their role beyond models and tools take a look.
👉 And if you’re curious about how embedding human values into EA can shift outcomes, I hope you’ll join the conversation.

Would love to know:
Which of these principles resonates most with you in your own architecture practice?
Have you experienced a moment when architecture moved from “control” to “trust”?
What human-centric value would you add to an EA manifesto?


Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/dPWg8xSM
Let’s talk: I’d appreciate your thoughts, experiences, and maybe even disagreements.

#EnterpriseArchitecture #ArchitectureDebt #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #EA

architectureandgovernance.com

The EA Manifesto: The Human Side of Enterprise Architecture

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗡𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝘀. 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗜𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
My new article "𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘦𝘣𝘵 𝘷𝘴. 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘣𝘵: 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮" for The New Stack is live!
Over the past few years, I’ve seen a pattern repeating across organizations of all sizes:
📌 Transformations fail not because teams lack effort, tools, or talent, but because the architecture underneath is quietly falling apart.

We talk a lot about technical debt. But almost never about its bigger, enterprise-level twin: 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘁.

And yet Architectural Debt is what truly determines whether a company can scale, transform, or even survive under pressure.

In this article, I break down:
✔ What Architectural Debt really is (beyond the buzzwords)
✔ How to recognize it early, before it becomes irreversible
✔ Why transformations collapse when architectural foundations are weak
✔ A practical approach to measuring and managing it
✔ The organizational behaviours that silently create Architectural Debt
✔ And most importantly, how to start paying it down

This topic is deeply connected to my daily work in enterprise architecture, governance, and transformation.
It’s also one of the most overlooked risks in modern organizations and the one that determines whether AI, cloud, or digital initiatives succeed or fail.

If you work in architecture, transformation, strategy, or leadership, I hope this article gives you new clarity and tools to start important conversations in your teams.

🔗 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dM7THW_G

A huge thank you to EAPJ for publishing it and to the architecture community whose discussions inspired many of the insights behind this piece.

Let’s make Architectural Debt visible. And let’s build architectures that actually support transformation rather than break under it.

#EnterpriseArchitecture #ArchitectureDebt #EAPJ #ArchitectureCommunity

thenewstack.io

Technical Debt vs. Architecture Debt: Don’t Confuse Them

The New Stack

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗜𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀
2025 is becoming the year when every organisation suddenly realised the same uncomfortable truth:
We have more AI projects than readiness. More data than structure.
More change than capacity. And more demand than architecture can absorb.

The pressure is real and everyone feels it:
🚀 𝗔𝗜 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲
Every department wants GenAI, Agentic AI, copilots, automation... But few have the architecture to scale even one initiative safely.

📊 𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙛𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜
More lakes, more warehouses, more dashboards, but no unified data contracts, ownership, or lineage.

⚡ 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚
Teams are moving fast. Leadership wants results faster. And architecture is asked to “speed up” without compromising quality.

🌐 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜
Ten new tools added. Two deprecated. Three not documented. And architecture is supposed to “connect everything magically.”

🧩 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨
Not designers of the future, but emergency responders for the present.

But here is the truth no one says aloud:
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

If architecture is overloaded, it’s because the organisation is under-structured.

𝘋𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘖𝘳 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢, 𝘈𝘐, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳?

Because 2025 is not “the year of AI.” It’s the year of architectural awakening.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵? 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘈𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦?

#EnterpriseArchitecture #AI #DataStrategy #TechTrends

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Why do some architecture functions drive transformation while others remain stuck maintaining the status quo?

The difference often lies in how well they connect strategy and innovation.

In architecture, just like in business, we move between four modes:
1️⃣ 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – “keep the lights on.”
Maintaining systems, managing incidents, ensuring stability.
Essential, but not transformative.
2️⃣ 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – improving what exists.
Process optimization, technical upgrades, and incremental innovation.
Helpful, but limited in vision.
3️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – defending what works.
Standardizing tools, protecting existing investments, ensuring compliance.
Necessary, but dangerous if the world moves faster than you do.
4️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – reinventing the future.
Shaping what’s next, experimenting with AI, data, and new operating models.
This is where resilience and renewal live.

The best architecture teams don’t live in one quadrant, they balance across all four.

They stabilize today while designing tomorrow.
They optimize efficiency and lead exploration.
They connect architecture not just to technology, but to strategy.

Because the real link between architecture and innovation isn’t about tools —
it’s about mindset.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦: 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 “𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯” 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺?

#Innovation #Transformation #ArchitectureThinking #ArchitectureGovernance

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗽
Ever tried to design a “perfect” architecture... only to realize halfway through that half the pieces were missing? 😅

That’s exactly why 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 exist.
They’re not a “shopping list” of tools, they’re a 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗽 to help architects turn strategy into real, working technology.

According to Gartner’s new Enterprise Technical Reference Architecture, the smartest organizations:
✅ Use 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀 as blueprints — not templates.
✅ Adapt them to their context, constraints, and existing ecosystem.
✅ Align every design with enterprise principles — before choosing tools.
✅ Build technical patterns that connect 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝗔𝗜, 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗔𝗠 into one coherent system.

Because architecture isn’t about drawing boxes, it’s about connecting them so they actually make sense.

If you’re an architect or tech lead, your next design shouldn’t start from a blank slide.
Start from a reference and then make it yours.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯?

#EnterpriseArchitecture #TechnologyStrategy #ArchitectureDesign #Gartner

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲! 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗲. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Every year feels less like a number and more like a new version release.
🧩 A few bugs fixed.
🚀 A few features improved.
🧠 A few systems completely rebuilt from scratch.

Looking back, my journey in technology and architecture was never about “linear growth.”
It was about resilience, reinvention, and finding clarity in complexity.
I started in code, moved into systems, then into architecture and now, into shaping strategies that define how technology transforms business itself.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴:
Growth isn’t always visible. Sometimes it looks like silence, rebuilding, rethinking.
Sometimes it’s about letting go of old frameworks, outdated goals, or people who no longer align with your 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮.𝟬.

So, here’s to another year of designing clarity out of chaos: in systems, in organizations, and in life.
To everyone who’s been part of this architecture, thank you for being a piece of it.

𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴.

#HappyBirthday #Leadership #Growth #Transformation #Mindset

So grateful to see my article “Architecture Debt: The Hidden Risk That Breaks Transformations” resonate within our architecture community and thank you, Darryl Carr, for your thoughtful review and for bringing attention to a topic that is still underestimated in many organisations.

Architectural Debt is not just a by-product of legacy systems, it’s a strategic risk.
It silently accumulates when decisions are made too fast, when architecture is ignored, or when organisations try to scale without clarity, alignment, and governance.

In the article, I explore:
-- How to recognise architectural debt early
-- The difference between technical debt and enterprise-level architectural gaps
-- Why transformations fail when foundations aren’t stable
-- How to measure architectural debt 
-- And most importantly, how to manage it before it starts managing you


For me, this topic is deeply connected to my daily work as a Technology Architect. Whether we design platforms, govern change, or support transformation, one principle stays constant:
You can’t build a modern enterprise on fragile architecture.

If you’re leading transformation, building platforms, working in GBS/IT/EA, or responsible for organisational strategy. I hope this article provides clarity and a practical lens to look at your landscape.

🔗 Read the full article here:
https://lnkd.in/dM4iS-Yz

Curious to hear your thoughts:
How does your organisation identify and manage architectural debt today?

#EnterpriseArchitecture #ArchitectureDebt #TechnologyLeaders #EACommunity

Experienced Architect and Builder of Professional Communities

Technical Debt is a topic of discussion for many architects, which is an important aspect of managing an organisation's technology landscape. The enterprise-level equivalent could be described as Architectural Debt, which, just like Financial Debt, can have serious consequences on how a company performs in a rapidly changing world.

In this insightful new article by Nadzeya Stalbouskaya on the Enterprise Architecture Professional Journal, these topics are addressed in relation to Business Transformation, providing information on how to recognise Architectural Debt, understanding its impacts, knowing how to measure it, and mostly importantly, having an approach to managing it.

https://lnkd.in/gwupsgvu

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝗜𝘁: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗜𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲
In architecture, there’s one phrase that always costs more than it saves:
“𝚆𝚎’𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚡 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛.”

It sounds harmless. Practical, even. But in reality, it’s where quality dies: quietly, incrementally, and almost invisibly.

When an integration doesn’t align, when data models don’t match, when governance is “to be defined later”, that’s not just a small gap. That’s architecture debt being born. And someone, someday, will have to pay it.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵:
In enterprise environments, “someone” is usually another architect, years later, trying to rebuild logic that should never have been broken in the first place.

𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠.
It’s a living, breathing system of intent. Every decision (design, standard, interface) carries weight.
When architecture is done right, it evolves naturally as business changes.
When it’s done wrong, it collapses, forcing expensive redesigns, data migrations, and frustrated teams.
A healthy architecture should never require a rescue mission.
It should require maintenance, evolution, and refinement not full-scale rebuilding.

𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙢, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙢.
Doing something right the first time doesn’t mean doing it slowly or ideally.
It means doing it consciously with awareness of impact, dependencies, and lifecycle.
True architects don’t just “deliver solutions.” They design futures systems that stay relevant, scalable, and understandable.
If your architecture needs constant rescue, that’s not agility.
That’s a sign of missing alignment, weak ownership, and short-term thinking disguised as speed.

𝙎𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.
Let’s stop designing things “just to make it work for now.” Let’s stop assuming someone will come later to clean it up. That “someone” is already overloaded and your quick fix is their long-term problem.

Good architecture doesn’t need heroes. It needs discipline, communication, and courage to say:

“𝙽𝚘, 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚡 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚆𝚎’𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚡 𝚒𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠.”

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦?
𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 “𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵” 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯?

#ArchitectureDebt #ITStrategy #ArchitectureQuality #TechLeadership

𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿
This year, I’m not celebrating milestones or achievements.
I’m celebrating moments.

Morning swims that wake the mind.
Salty hair and sea breeze that remind you to let go.
Coffee that somehow tastes better when time slows down.
And quiet laughter the kind that makes everything else fade for a while.

Every birthday by the sea feels less about age and more about rhythm
waves coming and going, reminding me that balance isn’t something to chase,
it’s something to return to.

Here’s to another year of learning, building, and finding peace between deadlines and tides.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧?

#WeekendVibes #Balance #ArchitectureOfLife #BirthdayMood

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Fast integrations always sound attractive:
“Just connect the systems quickly and move on.”

But every shortcut leaves traces:
⚠️ Duplicated data nobody trusts
⚠️ Workarounds that turn into permanent processes
⚠️ Fragile links that break under pressure
⚠️ Technical debt that slowly becomes architecture debt

The real cost isn’t visible on day one.
It shows up when the business wants to scale, launch a new product, or integrate with a partner and suddenly the whole system behaves like a house of cards.

Bad integrations don’t just create chaos in IT.
They block growth. They kill speed. They limit innovation.

Good architecture is not about connecting everything quickly.
It’s about connecting it in a way that lasts, scales, and supports the business strategy.

𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧 “𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴” 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘴?

#ArchitectureDebt #Integration #Scalability #DigitalTransformation

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