So much goodness in this conversation. I was highly privileged to be a part of it. 🎉🙏🏻🙇

Are we asking that question in our own teams? Read, watch, or listen to Gien's full story: buff.ly/p65Td6F

Across all these episodes, what we keep learning is: facilitating architecture means creating the conditions where the real reasons behind decisions can safely surface. That's harder than any technical problem. ....

In our latest episode, @gienverschatse.com shares how a team chose event sourcing because one dominant voice pushed for it, while the real drivers (fear, identity, the need for something exciting) stayed completely invisible. Nobody had the skills or the role to facilitate a better conversation. ...

Teams that stay silent out of fear. Workshops where polite agreement masks real disagreement. Hierarchy that shuts down collaboration with a single gesture. Technology choices driven by career anxiety rather than analysis. These aren't edge cases. They show up in nearly every story we hear. ...

14 episodes into our Stories on Facilitating Software Architecture & Design series with @roundcrisis.com and @andrewhl.bsky.social, and one pattern keeps surfacing: the biggest threat to good architecture isn't a lack of technical knowledge. It's the human dynamics we don't address. ...

Think about the last architectural decision your team made. Was it actually decided through careful analysis? Or did the person who cared the most and spoke the loudest end up steering the outcome? ... #SoftwareArchitecture #FacilitatingArchitecture #CollaborativeSoftwareDesign #TechnicalLeadership

Some of the most beautiful hand-drawn diagrams i've ever seen. Turkish "Justice Gazette", 1920, artist: Cerîde-i Adliyye. Source [substack] casualarchivist.substack.com/p/poetic-jus... #türkiye #infographics #stunning

Can’t wait to be back in Berlin for @amaconf.bsky.social to talk about Anarchy and how it can help your architecture practice.

The whole conversation transformed how I thought about software. Check it out.

The new series @roundcrisis.com, @andrewhl.bsky.social and I are hosting is no different. Whether you prefer listening to a podcast, watching a video, or reading a blog - we've got you covered.

With Virtual Domain-driven design, we've always strived for free knowledge sharing and accessiblility to anyone wanting to go deeper into systems and software design. ...

It's those lived experiences, that human connection you get from hearing someone's real story, that carries the most lasting value - in work and in life. ...

"Stories of Facilitating Software Architecture & Design" is built on a belief that feels especially relevant right now: in this age of AI, personal stories matter more than ever. ...

Last week we published the 12th episode, and we've already recorded 4 more. Hopefully these stories inspire and help people — in any role — on their path to changing the way we do architecture and design. Check out the series: buff.ly/ihPoVzk

Yes, editing takes work — but it also forces me to sit with the content, to really engage with it. We often forget that revisiting stories and ideas can help you re-engage with concepts you once knew but forgot, or give you a different perspective each time. ...

I've been on my own path with this for the past 10 years, having had the privilege to witness a team-first approach early in my career. And honestly, recording and editing each episode still gives me new insights and fresh enthusiasm to try things differently. ...

And that's the hard part, isn't it? Knowing something needs to change and actually making that change are very different things. We believe stories are one of the best ways to bridge that gap. Hearing how others navigated their own path makes it feel less daunting and more achievable. ...

The autocratic architect model is holding teams back, and a lot of people recognise this. They just don't know how to change the system to become more collaborative, more facilitating, while still upholding the integrity of the system as a whole. ...

Short ones, 4 to 8 minutes, followed by a dialogue where we explore the experience together. We started this because we keep seeing the same pattern: architecture and design done for teams instead of with teams — or even better, by teams. ...

How do you change the way architecture and design are done in your organisation? End of last year, together with @roundcrisis.com and @andrewhl.bsky.social, we started a series called "Stories of Facilitating Software Architecture & Design." The idea is simple: let people share their stories. ...

Nonsense. It's not possible to steal AI technology. I know this because Google's own LLMs are built using a complete copy of my legal blog, and that's somehow not stealing because, as Google says, a complete copy of my legal blog is both trivial and utterly essential for their tech to work.

I keep seeing leftists from outside of Minneapolis say they’ve seen all this before, and no, you haven’t. I’ve been at this for 30+ years and I haven’t either. It’s not what you’re picturing. This is something else

This book, and the discussion with Bill, James and Bruce changed the way I reason about and with code entirely. You *need* to check both out. Trust me.

My book, Facilitating Software Architecture has been included in the Gartner 2026 Reading Guide for Software Architects and Engineers by Peter Hyde. 😱🎉 Being selected is both humbling and energizing. Thank you everyone who contributed to what became the book. 📚

Yes this is something @roundcrisis.com @andrewhl.bsky.social and I discussed for one of our upcoming stories of facilitation. I also want to start experimenting with this pretty soon myself!Only worry I have is resulting: the tendency to equate the quality of the decision with that of the outcome.

You may possess wide contextual knowledge, but you lack the agency of implementation. If you are in an architecture role, how do you ensure your high-level choices actually align with where the resources are being allocated?

As an architect, you can select an option. But ultimately, the engineers implement that choice. If they encounter friction and pivot to an alternative solution during coding, your decision was never actually made—because the resources were allocated elsewhere. ...

However, consider the definition of a decision we use in our book, which originates from Gien’s work: a decision is a choice between two alternatives that involves an irrevocable allocation of resources. ...

Both works highlight that without these skills, architects often revert to command-and-control tactics, believing they are making decisions for the teams. ...

In Collaborative Software Design, the book I co-authored with @evelynvankelle.bsky.social and @gienverschatse.com, we argue that facilitation skills are critical to solving this. @andrewhl.bsky.social also explores this extensively in his book, Facilitating Software Architecture. ...

These architects are attempting to maintain system integrity across the organisation while trying not to block the teams' development flow. The challenge lies in shifting the approach from dictating to facilitating decision-making. ...

During a training session with tech leaders today, a familiar friction point regarding architecture decision-making surfaced. Participants consistently observed that architects operating outside the teams are perceived as controlling and micromanaging. This behaviour often stems from a paradox. ...

#GOTOpodcast w/ @andrewhl.bsky.social & Marit Van Dijk hits a nerve many of us know well: architecture ends up slowing us down. • Architects as facilitators • ADRs as lightweight documentation • Psychological safety as the hidden architecture layer 🎧 gotopia.tech/podcast

Do we need software architects? A question that always sparks debate. We held an open discussion on the role, its anti-patterns, and expectations. Missed it? You can rewatch the session or listen to the podcast on our website. buff.ly/fCTti5d

Holding another Developer Science Office Hour TODAY and the theme is Design-a-Study, a mini (very mini) workshop on imagining a study from the very beginning! www.eventbrite.com/e/design-a-s...

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Harvesters, 1565 #themet #europeanart

“The hardest part (of deciding) is framing the problem. It is also the part we spend the least amount of time on.” This is _so_ true. 👏🏻 @gienverschatse.com closing #NewCrafts #Paris 2025.

“Anarchy doesn’t mean you can’t organise, but it should be done voluntary, functional, temporal and small”

At @newcrafts.bsky.social watching @andrewhl.bsky.social talk about anarchy and how we can organise ourselves differently in our company instead of the hierarchy we have gotten so used to.

For all of you who wonder why a perfect technical plan does not result in the perfect technical implemention #HolisticEngineering might be what you are looking for. Thanks @andrewhl.bsky.social and @gotocon.com for this interview.

Such an important idea, and one that’s not even that difficult to avoid, *if* you know what to look out for. Some really key insights from @vanessaformicola.bsky.social here. 💙🎉

. @andrewhl.bsky.social’s revolutionary approach to architecture is live! Learn how everyone can contribute without creating chaos. Watch his talk on democratizing decisions & subscribe for more perspectives! youtu.be/zp9Go2ChAdw #amaberlin

Blimey: downdetector.co.uk #hugops all around.

An important message to the people of New York City. More information at zohranfornyc.com/birthday

Lol that the London No Kings event is called No Tyrants because…you know… www.nokings.org#map

🏗️ Let’s talk #SoftwareArchitecture! @simonbrown.je & @andrewhl.bsky.social join #YOW25 to challenge how you think abt structure, scale, & collaboration in modern software systems. 📅 MEL 4-5 | BNE 8-9 | SYD 11-12 Dec yowcon.com

Me and @javujavichi.bsky.social “together” on stage. My favourite moment of #gsas25 captured here. First time I got quoted in a talk, achievement unlocked. ❤️

You want teams to take architectural decisions by facilitating but you are struck with silence or indecision. That was the story @roundcrisis.com and @andrewhl.bsky.social talked about in our latest Story on Facilitating Software Architecture & Design.

Time is a crucial element in modeling business workflows. In this video, @indualagarsamy shows how to implement your business policies in such a manner that it truly revolves around your business so you can realize the DDD dream