Hi, I’m Anna Bilan, Founder of Brightwork AI. We help small—to mid-sized companies integrate AI into their operations for maximum efficiency and growth. I bring years of consulting expertise, empowering professional firms, insurance companies, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations to harness the power of AI for measurable results.

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Services Offered:

1. Executive AI Strategy Sessions:  
   Tailored consultations to help leaders identify high-impact AI opportunities and create actionable roadmaps for success.

2. Custom AI Software Implementation:  
   End-to-end development of AI solutions, designed to address your unique business challenges and streamline operations.

3. Adopting Internal AI Tools:  
   Seamlessly integrate advanced tools like Microsoft Copilot, Gemini 2.0, and other cutting-edge platforms into your workflows.

4. Employee AI Training:  
   You can give your team the skills to effectively adopt AI technologies, fostering innovation and efficiency across your organization.

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Why Work with Brightwork AI?  
☑️ Expertise in simplifying complex AI concepts for practical use in professional firms, insurance, financial services, and healthcare.  
☑️ Proven success in delivering AI solutions that enhance decision-making, reduce operational costs, and drive growth.  
☑️ A client-focused approach to ensure measurable ROI and long-term value.

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📩 Let’s Work Together:  
✉️ Email: anna@brightworkai.com  
🔗 LinkedIn DM: 

Message me “AI Growth” to discuss how we can future-proof your business with transformative AI solutions.

Anna Bilan ⚡️

You're paying $997 for AI courses while Google gives you better tools for free.

The biggest AI scam. It's the courses teaching you to use it.

Here's what happened:

Last week, I watched someone spend their rent money on an "AI masterclass."
Lost a job. I can't get a job if I won't be AI Savy. 
The course was teaching ChatGPT basics and calling it revolutionary.

Meanwhile, Google's offering 11 tools that would've saved them $997 and actually delivered results.

I spent 732 days testing every AI tool that exists.
Most are garbage, built on GPT. But Google's free stack? Different story.

Here's what the $997 courses won't tell you about Google's arsenal:

1. FIREBASE STUDIO
Not just another website builder.
Build and launch actual apps. No code. No BS.
While others are stuck in WordPress hell.

2. VEO (Video Generation)
Create video clips from text prompts.
Your competitors are hiring video editors.
You're typing sentences.

3. GEMINI ASK ON YOUTUBE
Chat with any video to extract insights.
Skip the 47-minute ramble. Get the 3 points that matter.
Time saved = money earned.

4. GEMS IN GEMINI
Build custom AI assistants using your actual data.
Not generic ChatGPT responses. YOUR knowledge. YOUR voice.

5. NANO BANANA
Already wrote about this killing stock photography.
Edit AI images until they don't look like AI garbage.
188 failures taught me: This is the real deal.

6. GEMINI IN GOOGLE SHEETS
Generate formulas, text, and insights inside spreadsheets.
Stop pretending you know VLOOKUP.
Let AI handle the Excel wizardry.

7. GOOGLE APP BUILDER
Build apps with prompts or templates.
No coding bootcamp needed.
Just ideas and execution.

8. IMAGEN/NANO BANANA (Media Generation)
Create visuals from simple prompts.
But here's the secret: Technical prompts beat creative ones.
Production notes > "Make it pretty"

9. GEMINI LIVE
Host AI chats with screen sharing.
Perfect for client presentations when you need backup.
Your co-presenter never gets nervous.

10. GOOGLE AI STUDIO
Test models, adjust settings, compare results.
This is where you graduate from prompt tourist to prompt engineer.

11. NOTEBOOKLM
Turn any source into summaries, audio overviews, quizzes.
Your research assistant that actually reads everything.

The equation that actually matters:
Course certificate + No practice = Unemployed with debt
Free tools + Daily usage = Skills that pay bills

While everyone's collecting completion badges,
You're shipping actual work.

That gap? That's where careers get built.

Stop buying hope. Start building skills.

💭 Which expensive course are you considering that Google already solved for free?

♻️ Share for someone about to waste money on AI education
➕ Follow Anna Bilan ⚡️ for AI strategies that actually work 
🔄 Repost this to help others learn AI
Image Credit to Andrew Bolis

Top 1% LinkedIn Creator Worldwide | Helping You to Escape Corporate & Develop AI Skills | CEO- BrightWork AI | exBig4 | National Champion in Aerobic Gymnastics

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

li_at

JSESSIONID

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

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝘀. 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄
Architects don’t just design systems, we think in systems.
But not all thinking is the same.

Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky called it System 1 and System 2 thinking:

⚡ 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝟭 (𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴) – intuitive, pattern-based, emotional, automatic.
It’s what helps us connect dots instantly, sense risks, or identify architectural anti-patterns before they appear.

🔍 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝟮 (𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴) – logical, deliberate, structured, analytical.
It’s what we use when we model dependencies, validate options, or build governance frameworks.

Both are essential in architecture.
Fast thinking drives innovation and agility.
Slow thinking drives rigor and alignment.

But here’s the problem under pressure, we rely too much on speed.
We call it “experience,” but it’s often autopilot.
And that’s how architecture debt starts to grow one “quick fix” at a time.

The real skill of an enterprise architect isn’t in eliminating System 1.
It’s in knowing when to pause, challenge assumptions, and switch to System 2 before the “fast” decisions become structural problems.

Because the art of architecture lies in the balance
✔️ between intuition and discipline,
✔️ between speed and reflection,
✔️ between experience and evidence.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘻𝘦? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺?

#Leadership #ArchitectureThinking #Strategy #ArchitectureDebt

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

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

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝘁 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗽)
In the last few years, I’ve been to many different conferences, summits, and community events:L some global, some very niche. And here’s what I’ve learned:

🎯 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻:
𝟭 -- 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. Not endless vendor sales pitches, but case studies, practical insights, and honest stories (including failures).
𝟮 -- 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. The best part is always the conversations in the hallways, coffee breaks, and after sessions — where you meet people facing the same challenges.
𝟯 -- 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. You leave not just with slides, but with new ideas you want to test the next Monday.

🛑 Events you can skip:
-- Overly commercial expos where every talk feels like a product demo.
-- “Trendy” tech conferences where architecture is just a buzzword sprinkled between AI and blockchain.
-- Too broad events where architects are a minority, and you don’t really find your peers.

From my own experience, the most value I got was from events like:
✔️ Enterprise Architecture Exchange (London) – very focused, lots of peer learning.
✔️ AI & Big Data Expo (Amsterdam) – good for exploring cross-domain impact, especially where AI meets architecture.
✔️ Women in Tech Summits – not only for diversity, but also for genuine leadership and networking opportunities.
✔️ SwitchOn - amazing online events.
✔️ Architecture & Governance online sessions – smaller scale, but very practical.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵: you don’t need to attend every event. A few well-chosen conferences a year can give you far more value than trying to cover them all.

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 2025?

#EnterpriseArchitecture #Conferences #Networking #Community

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

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

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

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

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

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

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀)
Corporate life has its own paradox:
🔹 We create 40-slide decks to explain something that could fit on one page.
🔹 Yet when faced with a truly complex challenge data governance, AI ethics, enterprise integration, we reduce it to a slogan like “just be agile.”

Why does this happen?
1️⃣ 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 — making a simple thing look complex feels like adding importance.
2️⃣ 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵𝘺 — reducing a hard topic to a buzzword avoids the discomfort of facing it properly.
3️⃣ 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 — sometimes it’s easier to look busy than to tackle the real issue.

The result: wasted time on what’s simple, and fragile solutions for what’s complex.

Maturity comes when we flip the script:
✔️ Keep simple things simple.
✔️ Do justice to complexity without pretending it’s easy.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘹 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?

#leadership #strategy #enterprisearchitecture #corporatelife

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