How long until you reach your goals if you change nothing?

Systems love replication. 

They hold tight to what is comfortable, familiar, and predictable. But true leadership doesn’t happen in the comfortable spaces.

At Massively Good Leadership, I engage with you to:
- deliver best-in-class executive coaching 
- organization wide enablement
- learning design programs 
and human-driven AI for managers.

Two decades enacting sustainable change in systems across roles and scope, with budget constraints and myriad collective bargaining agreements—> moving from silos to interdependence with results.

I collaborate.
I amplify.
I ignite. 

Let’s stop waiting for the system to take its course.

Let’s make the bold, strategic moves that your leadership legacy demands.

Ready to dive in? 

💬  Connect and message me
💻  Book a quick call 
📨. Email me to ignite the massively good change you’ve been waiting for at cheryl@pulsehive.com 
🛜 www.pulsehive.com

Cheryl Agrawal

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

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

JSESSIONID

li_at

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#ArchitectureThinking #Transformation #Strategy #Innovation

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

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

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

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

So, what does good architecture look like?

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

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

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

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

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

#ArchitectureThinking #Leadership #Transformation #ArchitectureDebt

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 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

𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗡𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁
Tools change. Frameworks evolve. Titles come and go. But the skills that truly define you are the ones no one can take away.

𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯:
✔️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Architectural life is constant change: shifting priorities, incomplete data, endless rework. Resilience keeps you steady when everything else moves.

✔️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁. A growth mindset turns frustration into insight. Every failed integration, every governance debate becomes a lesson, not a setback.

✔️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲. Frameworks can be learned. But the ability to connect business, technology, and human behavior that’s what makes you irreplaceable.

✔️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹. Calm architects make better decisions. You can’t design systems with a noisy mind.

✔️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. Great architecture isn’t born in bursts of inspiration, it’s built in quiet, consistent work. Documentation, alignment, iteration. Every day.

✔️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰. It’s not about knowing everything, it’s about caring enough to keep improving. Grit is underrated in architecture, but it’s what builds trust.

✔️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. The tech world moves fast. Stay curious: about AI, data, strategy, psychology. The best architects are the ones who never stop learning.

No certification can replace these.
No reorg can take them away.
They are your real architecture, the one you build inside yourself.

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 2026?

#ArchitectureThinking #Transformation #GrowthMindset #LearningCulture

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

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 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

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

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

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

𝟴 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗗𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀)
Let’s be honest architects don’t really switch off.
Even at the holiday party, you can still spot them:
🍸 Aligning stakeholders instead of dance partners.
📊 Drawing diagrams on napkins to “explain the punch bowl process flow.”
💻 Quietly checking production dashboards between songs (“Just in case it crashed during the toast”).
🎁 Giving Secret Santa gifts with documented frameworks and user manuals.
🕺 Trying to integrate dance moves as elegantly as they integrate systems (results... vary).
🧠 Quoting TOGAF principles at midnight: “Consistency over conformity!”
🎆 Experiencing that one brilliant midnight revelation: “Next year, we redesign everything.”

Because for architects, even parties have architecture: stakeholders, dependencies, and at least one governance moment before dessert.

So here’s to us to the ones who see structure in chaos, diagrams in confetti, and roadmaps in champagne bubbles. 🥂

#WorkHumor #TechLife #Leadership #ArchitectureCommunity

𝗠𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝟮𝟱𝟭,𝟰𝟬𝟲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲)
Every year teaches us something unexpected.
In 2025, this was mine:
The post I wrote “just for fun” became my most popular one of the year with more than 251,000 impressions.
Yes, that post: “𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙤 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢? (𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠)” https://lnkd.in/gzMWcmPb 

I wrote it in a moment of honesty. No strategy, no scheduling, no theory behind it. Just a simple truth I kept seeing everywhere:

Most architects never planned to become architects. They arrived here through experience, curiosity, chaos, opportunity, accidents and sometimes destiny.

And somehow... this resonated with thousands of people.

But here’s why I think it worked:
🔹 It made our profession human
🔹 It made people feel seen
🔹 It reminded us that expertise grows from messy paths
🔹 It celebrated the diversity of journeys in tech
🔹 It brought humour into a field that often forgets to laugh

And honestly? This post taught me more about community than any analytics dashboard ever could.

Because behind those 251,406 impressions are real people: 𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨, 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧s each with their own story.

💡 My takeaway for 2026
The content that truly connects is not always the most polished.
It’s the most human.
The posts where you speak from real experience, not theory.
Where you show the profession as it is complex, imperfect, and full of surprises.

So thank you to everyone who read, commented, laughed, disagreed, shared their story, or simply stopped scrolling for a moment.

You turned a small idea into the most meaningful conversation of my year.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘠𝘖𝘜 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 2025? I’d love to hear it.

#EnterpriseArchitecture #CareerJourney #ArchitectureCommunity #TopPost2025

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

𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Today, everyone is “implementing AI” from HR to Finance.
But without architecture, what we really build is a collection of isolated models, duplicated data, and inflated expectations.

Because AI isn’t just about algorithms, it’s about integration, governance, and design. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨:
✔️ Data doesn’t converge
✔️ Models overlap and contradict
✔️ Investments multiply, but value doesn’t

AI without architecture is like hiring a thousand smart interns with no manager. They all work hard in different directions.

Architects bring what pilots alone can’t:
– Shared data foundations
– Principles for reuse and traceability
– Governance for responsible scaling
– And a system view that connects insight to impact

The next wave of AI success won’t belong to those who experiment faster, but to those who architect smarter.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘈𝘐 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴?

#AIArchitecture #DataStrategy #Governance #AI

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

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Enterprise Architecture isn’t just about technology. It’s about seeing the system, shaping the future, and influencing change.

And yet, too often, architects are still judged by how many frameworks they know, not by how strategically they act.

In reality, what separates great architects from good ones isn’t their certifications, titles, or even tools. It’s their ability to think and act strategically across domains, roles, and levels.

Here are the five competencies that define the next generation of architects:
1️⃣ 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁. See what’s really happening — not just what’s documented. Understand dependencies, constraints, and hidden dynamics between teams and systems.

2️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. Architects don’t wait for the roadmap — they help create it. They envision possibilities, align transformation, and translate strategy into structure.

3️⃣ 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. Influence people and decisions without hierarchy.
The best architects move systems — not by authority, but through clarity, logic, and trust.

4️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀. Turn principles into progress. Good architecture doesn’t live in diagrams, it shows up in measurable outcomes, resilience, and adaptability.

5️⃣ 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. Technology shifts, priorities change, disruptions happen. True architectural maturity lies in the ability to reframe, rebuild, and keep moving forward.

In a world where AI, data, and digital transformation accelerate every quarter, these five skills aren’t optional, they are the foundation of architectural leadership.

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦?

#Leadership #Transformation #ArchitectureThinking #FutureSkills

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