Recruitics

• Lead creative strategy and execution for recruitment marketing and employer brand campaigns across healthcare, tech, QSR, logistics, and aerospace verticals.

• Manage a multidisciplinary team spanning art direction, copywriting, motion graphics, social marketing, experiential and online design solutions.

• Spearheaded rebrand efforts for Recruitics including new branding for their website, collateral, and brand guidelines.

• Partner with Sales, Marketing, and Strategy on pitch winning new business and ensure alignment with evolving market trends.

• Championed the use of Al-enhanced tools to mentor and upskill teammates on and future-focused creative processes.

• Lead cross-functional processes to increase operational efficiency and creative output.

• Built a creative team of high-performing within 6 months, achieving a 20% increase in project delivery efficiency utilizing agile methodologies and Al-based collaboration tools.

CLIENTS: CommonSpirit Health, Dignity Health, Catholic Healthcare Initiatives, Baylor Scott & White Health, Loma Linda University Health, Nuance Health, City of Hope, DaVita, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, VCU Health, Seattle Children’s, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Virta Health, Thermo Fisher Scientific, TouchPoint, ABS Kids, CVS, Airbus, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation Aerospace, Bosch, UPS, Brother, BMC Software, Quadient, GoTo, CenturyLink, Lumen, LazerLogistics, Pye-Barker, SaveATree, DentWizard, SportClips, Generac, Kimberly-Clark, Western Union, Dollar Tree, Inc., Aristocrat, Dunkin’, Inspire Brands, Chipotle, Texas Roadhouse, DoorDash, Kroger, iHerb, Noom, Chewy, Zillow, CSAA Insurance Group, Kindercare, Cady, Cedar Point, inTulsa Talent

VP, Brand & Creative

• Served as the Creative Director in the Los Angeles office working on national creative for Fortune 500 Brands; managing talent and projects for creative, account, and strategy in NY, ATL, and SF teams.

• Awarded the "Champion of the Year" for 2020.

Creative Director

CareyDesign

• Boutique design consultancy delivering brand, video, and design services for clients in entertainment, automotive, and health sectors.

• Partner with agencies and in-house teams as a freelance creative lead, providing scalable solutions for pitch work, campaign development, and overflow production needs across branding, video, and digital.

• Continuously evolving service offerings to meet market demand, including visual branding, packaging, video editing and Al-enhanced creative using tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Descript, Adobe Firefly, ElevenLabs, Canva and Runway.

CLIENTS: Nissan, Infiniti, Mayo Clinic, UCLA Health, Dignity Health, Enclarity, Magnecomp, Premier Nutrition, Wroten & Associates Law Firm, ChristianAudio, Hovel Audio, One Audio Books, L.A. Avengers Arena Football Team, Ora-Insights, Beacon Coaching & Consulting, Murrieta Chamber of Commerce, White Labs, Corovan, EPIC Doors, Inc.

Creative Director/Owner

J. Walter Thompson Worldwide

• Served as the Creative Director in the LA office working on national creative for Fortune 500 Brands; managing talent and projects for creative, account, strategy & developer teams in New York, Atlanta, Washington DC, Seattle, San Diego and San Francisco offices.

• Creative utilization for 2018 averaged 141.5%; achieved project profit margins of 17.81%.

• Led pitch deck development for new business opportunities and creation of top case studies and marketing materials. Team wins led to 6 of top 10 agency of record clients including: T-Mobile, Samsung, Hulu, Nestlé/Nestlé Purina, Dignity Health, Mayo Clinic.

• Created client proposals, estimates and scope documents; managed partnerships with vendors and suppliers in delivery of creative work; total creative development revenue margin (5 years) averaged 27.3%.

• Created a 3-person video solutions team generating over $1.14M in first 24 months.

• Directly managed multidisciplinary team of 6 direct report creatives with $500K annual budget.

• Developed and implemented JWT INSIDE’s Interactive Delivery Process deployed across organization over last 7 years.

• Won over fifty industry awards over last 10 years – from Webby to Telly.

CLIENTS: T-Mobile, Hulu, Samsung, Microsoft, Bloomberg, ANN INC., Mary Kay, Nestlé, Nestlé Purina, Panda Express, Jack in the Box, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, UCLA Health, Dignity Health, Stanford Health Care. City of Hope, Swedish Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Shell, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Raytheon, General Electric (GE Aviation), Sherwin-Williams, Waste Management, Allstate, Farmers Insurance, MUFG Americas (Union Bank), Pacific Life, Banfield Pet Hospital, Knowledge Universe, Toys”R”Us, Paramount Pictures

SCG Advertising & Public Relations (Success Communications Group)

• Opened and led the West Coast creative team for this national advertising agency.

• Secured two of the agency's highest-revenue clients in under 12 months.

CLIENTS: Best Western Hotels, Public Storage, Real Mex Restaurants (El Torito, Chevy’s, Acapulco), AltaMed, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Mercy Gilbert,  Chandler Hospital, St. Rose, Valley Hospital Medical Center, San Diego State University, Corinthian Colleges, Inc.

Drive Industries Design Group

• Joined boutique firm to help expand business offerings beyond apparel design to corporate communications including corporate identity, marketing materials and interactive.

• Elevated design billings from $4M to $6M in just 24 months.

• Won 2 awards for WGSN’s The World's Trend Authority “Top Global Trends of 2004”- including best boardshort design for Billabong with “Tag-A-Trunk.”

• Concepted apparel design work, textiles and trims – from concept to physical construction – for leading brands across the action sports industry.

• Produced corporate guidelines for merchandising and licensing of global brands; managed and recruited freelance talent in creation of apparel, trims and textile designs.

• Managed client relationships and created cost estimates for corporate design projects.

CLIENTS: Quiksilver, Billabong, Tommy Bahama, Ocean Pacific, Maui & Sons, Rusty, Hobie, Jedidiah Clothing, Razor Scooters, Calavena, Boarding Trybe, CH3, Ænigma,  Ann Taylor, Sessa, Nautica, La Blanca, Rachel Hale, Sumba Foundation, Enclarity, Roll-A-Flex Doors, Inc./Roll Right Industries, Epic Industries

Partner/Creative Director 

Hodes

• Led creative strategy for telecom, aerospace, tech and healthcare clients in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco's recruitment marketing space.

• Played a lead role in the formation of San Diego's High-Tech Consortium branding that included wireless tech, software development, aerospace, cybersecurity, biotech and life sciences companies.

• Won numerous EMA awards for recruitment advertising and collateral design/packaging.

CLIENTS: Nokia, Qualcomm, Ericsson, SAIC, Cymer, Alaris, Legoland, Upper Deck Company, Callaway Golf, Geico, L-3 Communications, Raytheon, Copper Mountain, INS (International Network Services Inc.)

Creative Director/Senior Art Director

Independent News Corp./West Coast Community Newspapers

Responsible for sales collateral communications, editorial cover designs for special sections of publications and creation of display ads for both speculative and production. West Coast Community Newspapers was comprised of 14 community newspapers covering San Diego County. Won numerous editorial and CNAEA design awards.

Advertising & Marketing Designer

The San Diego Community Newspaper Group

As Art Director for The San Diego Community Newspaper Group, I assisted in both concepting the newspaper branding and design then assisting in launching the award-winning the "La Jolla Village News" weekly newspaper. I designed the editorial layout design, the promotional materials for the paper's launch and managing the design and production of all the retail ads in the weekly publication.

I managed a team of 6 graphic designers and production artists in creating weekly retail display and classified ads for the 3 papers (Beach & Bay Press, The Peninsula Beacon, La Jolla Village News) in this San Diego network.

Art Director & Manager

Orange County Register

Was one of a team of sixteen artists responsible for R.O.P. advertising design and layouts for the Orange County Register. Serviced eleven ad reps in my division and finished the years of 1994 and 1995 being recognized as one of the top producing ad designers in the company for work output and winner of numerous editorial and CNAEA design awards.

Advertising Graphic Artist

Created advertising collateral, special editorial covers and ad layouts for 8 weekly publications for coverage in the North Orange County Market owned by The Orange County Register. Serviced 15 account reps as well as the ad manager and publisher in creation of advertising and special promotional editorial and collateral winning numerous CNAEA design awards for creative.

At the heart of every story is an idea. Ideas are about smart thinking. Effective communication. Memorable branding. And inspired design. 

My life is about taking great ideas and expressing them thoughtfully and beautifully. 

In my role, I lead teams of idea makers: art directors, writers, designers, video editors and programmers. With them, I get to go inside and explore some of the world’s leading healthcare, technology, financial services and consumer goods companies. Where we create ideas that shape their cultures and support careers for talented people.

I create ideas that build great brands, Employee Value Propositions, internal communications, digital and video solutions, content strategies, social campaigns and experiential events.

What inspires me the most is the opportunity to create ideas that have great purpose in the lives of people everywhere. Because ideas touch every part of our lives...from the buildings we work in, to the devices that connect us, and the entertainment that inspires and delights. 

Ideas help us solve problems, discover opportunities and create new experiences for the world. Let’s make some ideas today!


Specialties:
-Creative Direction  & Story Making
-Brand Building & Corporate Identity
-Graphic Design & Digital Painting
-Typography & White Space
-Advertising & Social Media
-Video Direction & Editing
-Community Building & Participation

Inspirations:
-Steve Jobs, Joe Gibbs, Steven Spielberg
-Technology & Design
-NFL Football & Mountain Bike Riding
-Family & Cats
-Movie Geek Talk & Fantasy Football

Battle Gear:
-Pencil & Sharpie
-MacBook Pro & iPad Pro w/ Apple Pencil
-Apple Keynote & Adobe Creative Cloud
-Final Cut Pro & ChatGPT Plus
-Adobe InDesign & iBooks Author
-iPhone 13 Pro Max & Apple AirPods
-DJI Osmo Pocket 3 & Insta360 GO 3S Action Pod
-Ray-Ban Meta Glasses & Sony Alpha a6000
-Apple TV & AMC Stubs A-List
-VanMoof S3 Bike & Toyota 86

Bruce Carey

💛🌍 Happy World Kindness Day! 🌍💛 A small act of kindness can change someone’s entire day...a smile, a message, a moment of patience, or a simple “How can I help?”  In a world that can feel loud and fast, kindness is still the most powerful connector we have. Let’s spread it generously today… and every day. 🤝💫 #WorldKindnessDay #SpreadGoodness #BeTheLight #SmallActsBigImpact #Humankindness

li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #design, #creative, #brandingdesign, #employerbranding, and #creativedirection

AI Creative Director | Generative Design & Innovation Leader

Last Fall, while in North Carolina visiting my parents for Thanksgiving, I paused under a sky filled with red, orange and gold leaves 🍁. Being a California resident, seasonal changes are not something you get a lot of...

I snapped a photo...but then I noticed something. Real inspiration rarely comes staring at a blank screen or sitting in another meeting. It usually finds you when you’re least expecting it ✨.

That messy pile of leaves was wild, bright, and a little chaotic...nothing like the usual “best practices” or polished decks. Nature has a way of breaking up sameness, and that’s what real creativity does too 🌳.

If you ever feel stuck, try stepping outside. Sometimes the best creative spark is just beyond your office door 🚪. #AutumnLeaves #InspirationEverywhere

Everywhere I look, there’s fear in the job market. 😨 People are talking about layoffs like it’s the weather. Inbox pings trigger anxiety...not opportunity. It feels like hope is on backorder.

There’s a saying..."Keep Calm and Carry On." But let’s be honest. That advice feels a little hollow when your rent is due in five days.

So why do we still lean on it? Why does it keep showing up on mugs, memes, and motivational posters?

Maybe because deep down, we know something panic tries to hide. Calm isn’t a luxury in a crisis. It’s a weapon. 🛡️

The ones who pause, breathe, and rethink their moves are the ones who make it through. Not because they’re braver. But because they’re balanced enough to see something others can’t...

Opportunity doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it whispers in the middle of chaos. This isn’t just about grit. It’s about perspective.

The market will swing up and down. 📉📈 Layoffs will come and go.

But the value of creative thinking...of people who can see beyond panic...is always in demand.

Think about the brands you respect most.
The leaders you admire.
The campaigns that moved you.
Were any of those born in times of comfort?

Or did they come from moments when someone said, “We have nothing left to lose, so let’s try something bold.”

Maybe “Carry On” isn’t about ignoring the pain. Maybe it’s about refusing to let fear be the loudest voice in the room...

When you’re staring at uncertainty, what do you do?
Do you double down on what you know?
Or do you let yourself imagine something different?

The best ideas are born in adversity.
The best people are forged in fire.
And the best stories are the ones where someone refused to give up, even when everyone else did.

So, as we limp toward the New Year, ask yourself:
Is there a story you’re waiting to write?
A skill you’ve put on hold?
A connection you’ve been scared to make?

Maybe “Keep Calm and Carry On” isn’t outdated.

Maybe it’s a challenge to see what you’re really made of when the world says it’s time to quit. 💪💪

You hear it everywhere this year: “Do more with less.” 💲 For small, nimble creative teams and solo designers, writers, developers, strategists...it’s not a slogan. It’s our daily reality.

We’re producing smart brand campaigns, social content, UX, motion, video, and brand storytelling...with limited time, limited budgets, and limited people. And yet, we still make something meaningful. 💡

The part not seen in this world of urgency? Late nights, fast learning curves, AI platforms being reinvented daily, constant prioritization, and the emotional work of keeping each other encouraged. 🤝

If there’s a silver lining, it’s this: makers, doers and creators have always known how to move fast, make smart decisions, focus on what matters, and stretch every idea into something bigger than its resources. 🚀

So yes, I’ll wear my holiday sweater proudly this year...because “doing more with less” is not a complaint...it’s a craft I’ve mastered.

To every creative person making more with less - I see you, I appreciate you, and I’m cheering you on. 🎄❤️ #DoMoreWithLess #CreativeLife #DesignCommunity #WriterLife #StrategyLife #MondayVibes

Happy birthday Martin Scorsese! 🎂🎉 Today we owe this man a nod for his great film work. Why? He doesn’t just direct movies. He invents entire worlds. 🌍

Scorsese’s films grab you in the first five minutes and don’t let go. They’re sticky. They’re iconic. Here’s the real secret: it’s not just the story. It’s the mood. The grit. The tiny details that add up until you’re living inside the film.

My Top 24 Martin Scorsese Directed Films here: 
https://boxd.it/gcVG

What ties his films together?
- Zero compromise on his vision
- Insane attention to detail 🔎
- Storytelling that’s raw, real, and impossible to ignore

In my world, that’s the gold standard. Every brand campaign should feel like a world someone wants to enter over and over.

Which Scorsese film do you keep coming back to? For me, it’s always Goodfellas. Never gets old. Every time, I find something new.

If you are interested in diving into Scorsese's life and influences- check out "Mr. Scorsese" on AppleTV- a 5-part binge goes down smooth!

Now about that “MS NOW” name rebrand in moving on from MSNBC... 🦚

I've held back on thoughts with this rebrand...I get it...when NBC spins you off, the iconic peacock can’t come with you. But changing the name to MS NOW feels like a downgrade in clarity, tone, and brand equity. 

It sounds less like a news news network and more like “Miss (Mizz) NOW”... which is honestly the first thing I hear when I say it out loud.

And that back-rationalized meaning of “My Source News Opinion World” stretches so far it could qualify for Olympic gymnastics 🤸♂️. If your name requires an acronym explainer video to land, it probably didn’t land...

The identity itself? Predictable red blue 🔴🔵. Clean enough, but homogenous and kind of forgettable. The logo isn’t eye-rolling, but the company name certainly invites it.

In a moment where trust, clarity, and differentiation matter more than ever, MS NOW's identity feels like a shrug when the world is starving for excellence. 
#branding #identitydesign #brandstrategy #corporateidentity #MSNOW

🍹🍻 Happy Happy Hour Day! 🍹🍻 Because some days deserve a toast...and others require one. 😉 Whether it’s craft cocktails, mocktails, or your favorite local brew, today’s the perfect excuse to raise a glass and unwind. 🥂💫
Here’s to good company, great stories, and that magical hour that always seems to last a little longer than it should. 🍸😎 #HappyHourDay #CheersToThat #SipSipHooray #UnwindTime

🎬 Timothee Chalamet is live on YouTube...and what a masterclass in marketing it is.

If you’ve ever sat through a “brainstorming” meeting where someone drops the phrase “synergize the triangle of success” and suddenly everyone nods like they get it...well, here’s the cinematic version.

Our guy Timothée Chalamet strolling into a mock-meeting for "Marty Supreme" (via A24), pitching ideas that seem less “let’s promote a film” and more “let’s launch an existential movement” (corroded orange ping-pong balls = culture, right?).

Find it here in all its glory: https://lnkd.in/gMtSVdur

Wow. And love the YT video file name of: "Timothee_Chalamet_internal_brand_marketing_meeting_MartySupreme_11.08.2025.mp4” Schwwwwepppe!!

As Timmy would say… “Integrate. Culminate. Fruitionize.”
#A24 #FilmPromotion #MartySupreme #TimothéeChalamet #BrandMoments

youtube.com

Timothee_Chalamet_internal_brand_marketing_meeting_MartySupreme_11.08.2025.mp4

Grateful for this community and the work created with my partners. 🙏 Wishing you a Thanksgiving full of comfort, connection, and joy. 🧡🦃

Is being thankful on Thanksgiving just a polite habit, or is it something that actually rewires how we see the world? 🤔

I needed an answer. 
So I treated gratitude as more than a holiday script. 
I made it a daily creative brief.

Here’s what happened.

Every morning, before the barrage of email, meetings, and Slack pings, I wrote down one thing I was truly thankful for... 

A small win. 
A person who inspired me. 🙌 
A wild campaign that actually worked.

At first, it felt odd. Mechanical. 
But after a few weeks, something changed.

Suddenly, tough days felt lighter. 
The pressure to be “brilliant” all the time eased up, and we actually got more creative. 🎨

Turns out, gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is perfect.

It’s about seeing what’s working, even in chaos. 
That little shift? 
It rewired the way I lead, collaborate, and show up for my teams.

Being thankful isn’t a tradition. It’s a strategy for real creative culture. #Gratitude #Thanksgiving

Reputation can change in a single scroll. 🔄 One viral TikTok. One Glassdoor review. One offhand tweet from an ex-employee. 🐦

That’s all it takes to flip a brand’s story upside down...sometimes before lunch.

Employer branding isn’t just about the big claims you make. It’s what people say about you when you’re not in the room. 🗣️

You can’t control every review. But you can listen...and act. 👂

Read the tough feedback. 
Change what’s broken. 
Tell people what you’re doing differently.

In my experience, the brands that admit their mistakes and fix them out in the open build more trust than those who try to sweep problems under the rug. Silence is risky. Honesty and transparency pays off. ✅

Every December, I’m reminded why Corona’s classic “O Tannenpalm” TV spot is one of the smartest pieces of simple, emotional storytelling in advertising. Watch the classic spot here: https://lnkd.in/g3W9vHpN

A quiet beach at dusk, a single palm lighting up, and a soft “Feliz Navidad”...no hard sell, no noise, just a feeling.

That restraint is exactly what shaped Corona’s long-running brand voice: slow down, breathe, enjoy life. "Miles Away From Ordinary." "Find Your Beach." All born from a spot that dared to be still.

And this year, Corona is dropping an hour-long version of this spot...perfectly on-brand invitation to pause in the middle of the holiday chaos. Sometimes the most powerful creative move is saying less. 🌴✨
#Advertising #BrandStorytelling #CreativeInspiration #HolidayAds #Corona #FelizNavidad

P.S. the title "O Tannenbaum" is a traditional German Christmas carol whose title translates to "O Fir Tree," also known in English as "O Christmas Tree."

Open video: Corona Extra Christmas commercial | Corona Extra Feliz Navidad on youtube.com

Corona Extra Christmas commercial | Corona Extra Feliz Navidad

Great ideas don’t come from one genius...they come from teams willing to battle it out ⚡️

Every breakthrough I’ve seen started with smart people clashing over what works and what doesn’t.

You need:
- People who aren’t afraid to throw “bad” ideas in the mix 💡
- Space for real debate, not just nodding along 🗣
- Trust, so anyone can challenge anyone else

It’s not about having all the “rockstars.” 

It’s about building a culture where everyone feels safe to take creative risks...even if it means tossing out the original plan 🚀

The best creative teams don’t just agree...they collide, debate, and turn sparks into ideas that power the world of work!

The best creative leaders know when to break their own rules. 🚦 Sticking with “how it’s always been done” kills fresh thinking fast. 💤

Real progress happens when you encourage curiosity, risk-taking, and wild ideas...even if some flop. 🚀

I’ve seen it over and over: Give people room to experiment, and innovation follows. 🌱 How are you helping your team take more creative risks?

🎲💰 Happy National Play Monopoly Day! 🎲💰 Today's the day to channel your inner real estate mogul, pass Go, collect $200, and try very hard not to flip the board when someone buys Boardwalk first (I'm looking at you Daniel Craig). 😅🏠✨ 

Whether you’re a ruthless tycoon, or just in it for the snacks, today’s all about friendly competition...and maybe a little financial “creativity.” What’s your go-to token? The top hat, the dog, or the race car? 🚗🐶🎩 LMK! #MonopolyDay #GameNightFun #RollTheDice #ClassicGames

📺 Happy World Television Day! 📺 From prestige drama on HBO, classic sitcoms on NBC, Sunday football on YouTube TV 🏈, to reality chaos to binge-worthy streaming on Netflix and Hulu, TV has shaped our stories, our culture... 😄🍿 

And can I  just say how grateful we are that today’s TVs aren’t the back-breaking heavy beasts we had in the 90s? If you ever moved one of those lead weights, you earned a medal. 🏋️‍♂️😂 

Whether you grew up with Saturday morning cartoons or you’re deep into your latest binge, today’s the perfect day to celebrate the screen that brings us a whole lot of escapism... What show are you loving right now? 👀 #WorldTelevisionDay #TVMagic #BingeWorthy #PopCultureLove #StreamOn

How many times have you heard, “Make it bigger, bolder, faster!” in a brainstorm, only for the idea to get watered down by process or silos? 💡

What if, instead, we focused on making it smarter? Over the years, I’ve found that the best creative breakthroughs often come not from louder ideas, but from teams who trust each other enough to push boundaries. 

When you blend creative courage, open dialogue, and the right tech. Like generative AI that removes friction from execution 🤖, a culture of innovation forms naturally. The result isn’t just campaigns that win awards 🏆, but platforms that create real, measurable impact for brands and talent alike.

Are we prioritizing brave thinking as much as bold visuals? In a world obsessed with speed, it’s creativity and culture that set real leaders apart. I’d love to hear: how are you fostering this balance in your teams? 🔥

Thanksgiving isn’t about the turkey. It’s about how people show up for each other around the table 🦃...stories, laughter, little moments that stick.

Teams can work the same way.

The best creative sessions I’ve been part of? Never about who had the loudest voice or the biggest title. They worked because everyone brought something to the table. No ego.

Just ideas, honesty, and space to listen 👂.

Gratitude is rocket fuel for creativity 🚀.

Saying “thanks” for small wins, wild ideas, and even the mistakes—that’s how trust builds.

So before your next project sprint or brainstorm, try this: ask your team what they’re grateful for.

Pause. Let people be real.

You’ll be surprised where it takes you ⭐.

Creative magic happens when every seat at the table matters.

This week, that’s what I’m thankful for—in work and in life.

Who at your table are you grateful for? 🙏

What story is your brand telling...inside? 🧐 Brand growth isn’t just about the campaigns we launch or the products we build....it's deeply rooted in the everyday moments shared by our teams. 

The most magnetic employer brands don’t just talk about culture, they live it through authentic storytelling, creative collaboration, and a relentless curiosity to improve. ✨

If you want your company’s reputation to thrive (not just survive), start by empowering your people to be storytellers. Give them a platform. Celebrate small wins as vigorously as major milestones. 🎉

In an age where every Glassdoor postings can shape public perception overnight, building an employer brand from the inside out isn’t optional...it’s essential. 🚀

In the race 🏁 to deliver innovative campaigns, are we missing the real magic? ✨

It’s easy to get swept up by the power of generative AI or the latest tech stack...faster mockups, dynamic scripts, endless variations at our fingertips. 

But true creative leadership isn’t about chasing every shiny new tool. It’s about knowing when technology should take a backseat so human insight can drive. 🤔

Great storytelling starts with empathy and ends with action. Technology accelerates us, but only vision and connection inspire audiences to care. Are you using AI to elevate your team’s ideas—or just to speed up production? The difference defines creative impact...and future growth. 🚀

Let’s keep experimenting, but never forget 🤔 why we create in the first place.

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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

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

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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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

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

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 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

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

𝗛𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗸𝘁ó𝘄 𝗜𝗧 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱!
Yesterday I spoke at Forum Architektów IT in Warsaw and honestly, it was one of those events where you think: “𝘞𝘰𝘸… 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵!” 😄

My talk was about Architecture Debt vs Tech Debt aka the debt nobody sees but everybody feels. "𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙩 𝙫𝙨. 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙩: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙍𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨"

Judging by the reactions, we’ve all been silently suffering together!
I also joined a great panel with brilliant experts, and we had a lot of laughs while discussing the very serious topic of… debt again.
 (Architect life, right?)
𝘿𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙐𝙎𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝙋𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙇: 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙩 – 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙄𝙏 𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨
Wanda Żółcińska
Sandra Dąbrowska
Katarzyna Hołoweńko
Marcin Tyrański
Beata Kryńska

Huge thanks to everyone who came, listened, debated, nodded, or made the “yes, this hurts” face.  You made my day. 💙

Magdalena Sokulska Thank you for the opportunity.  https://lnkd.in/gU_7AkGQ

Until next year,  let’s try to reduce at least some of that architecture debt.
 Or at least admit it exists. 😄

#ForumArchitektówIT #ArchitectureDebt #EnterpriseArchitecture #TechHumor

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

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂
Most companies think they have technical debt.
But what they really have is something much more dangerous:

𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙩 — invisible, unmeasured, and quietly growing in the dark.

It’s the missing standards no one ever formalized.
The outdated integrations nobody questions.
The undocumented data flows that “only one engineer knows.”
The governance process that exists only on slides.
The diagrams no one updated since 2021.
The roles that everyone assumes but no one owns.

And the worst part? Architecture debt often looks like “everything is fine.” Until it isn’t.

When incidents happen, teams scramble.
When transformations start, blockers appear out of nowhere.
When scaling is needed, the foundation collapses under its own weight.

In every post-mortem, sooner or later someone says: 
“We should have fixed this years ago.”

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵: Architecture debt is not a technical issue. It’s a leadership issue, a visibility issue, and a strategic issue.

If we want to build real digital resilience, we must start treating architecture with the same seriousness as cybersecurity, finance, or compliance.

𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚙𝚜:
💧 Measure architecture debt the same way we measure tech debt.
💧 Track it like a risk.
💧 Assign ownership.
💧 Make it visible at the executive table.
💧 Reduce it continuously — not when something breaks.

Because the strongest architectures aren’t the ones we draw. They are the ones we maintain, govern, and improve every single day.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸?

#architecturedebt #enterprisearchitecture #technologystrategy #digitaltransformation

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 𝟳 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 (𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀)
Architecture isn’t just about systems, it’s about people, decisions, and the courage to make them visible.
And yet, most architects focus on frameworks, patterns, and tools...
while the real power of architecture lies in leadership skills no one lists on a resume.

Here are 7 skills that separate good architects from the ones who truly drive change:
1️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. Know your strengths, biases, and blind spots. Your stakeholders see them even if you don’t.

2️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Clarity beats complexity. If your audience doesn’t understand your architecture, it doesn’t exist.

3️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. Overthinking kills momentum. The best architects make decisions under uncertainty and take responsibility for them.

4️⃣ 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Great architects don’t hold all the answers. They build teams that find the answers together.

5️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Architecture is never “done.”. Every change, migration, and crisis tests your ability to adapt without losing direction.

6️⃣ 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Plans evolve. Priorities shift. Systems change. Resilient architects pivot with purpose not panic.

7️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. Trust is built in the small, consistent actions: keeping promises, owning mistakes, and saying no when it matters.

The truth is architecture is leadership in disguise. We just don’t call it that often enough.

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦?

#EnterpriseArchitecture #Leadership #ArchitectureThinking #ArchitectureCommunity

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

𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 – 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁
Everyone sees frameworks and influence.
But in reality... most of the architect’s life happens behind the diagrams.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵:
🟢 Designing systems
🟢 Making strategic decisions
🟢 Being the “bridge” between business and IT

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵:
🟣 Explaining the same thing to 7 different audiences
🟣 Negotiating ownership between 3 departments
🟣 Redefining “strategy” for the 10th time
🟣 Translating business ambition into something deployable
🟣 Managing resistance, dependencies, and politics
🟣 Being asked for a “quick diagram” for a six-month problem
🟣 Handling change fatigue yours and everyone else’s
🟣 Balancing vision with technical debt reality
🟣 Saying “no” to things that everyone else already said “yes” to
🟣 Feeling responsible for outcomes you don’t control

Architecture looks glamorous from the outside, but inside it’s a mix of diplomacy, psychology, design, and endurance.

Still, we stay not for the diagrams, but for the impact they represent.
Because when architecture works, the invisible becomes possible.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨?

#ArchitectureThinking #Leadership #Strategy #WorkLifeReality

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