March 17, 2026
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Key takeaways:
- Software architects design the future, not just the system.
- Great architects anticipate second- and third-order impacts across platforms, teams, and costs.
- The best architecture solves business problems, not technical puzzles.
As a software architect, I often get asked to describe what I do for work. The answer has not always been an easy one for folks outside of large enterprises to fully understand.
I occasionally get a raised eyebrow at my current (somewhat nebulous) title of “architect 8.” In my current organization, that title aligns to an individual contributor equivalent to a VP of engineering on the people leader career path.
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March 17, 2026
