A question we are often asked, but recent research shows that groups of 5-7 make more effective decisions. But how can we still include as much perspectives as possible to make better decisions?

Architecture decisions can be tough, but what if you started by deciding on the process itself? One approach is to document decisions using Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) and review them weekly. This not only builds the -->

What if you could ditch the prepared slides and adapt your talk to the audience in real time? That's what I got to experiment with yesterday at the Frontify software talks meetup in St. Gallen. My talk was about technical leadership and facilitating better architectural decision-making. Instead ->

@nick-tune.me should we start calling ourselves a legacy software therapist when we do architectural modernization?

We're thinking about organising another Virtual DDD open space around November or December. If you've never joined us, check the info on our website. We are curious when would be the best day and time to plan these, so let us know in the comments, and join our Discord buff.ly/BMBViYr

The second episode of our new series on Stories on Facilitating Software Architecture and Design is out!

I'm looking forward to speaking at the Software Talks meetup at Frontify in St Gallen near Zurich this Thursday. Being back in Switzerland is always a pleasure and I will be talking about Technical Leadership for Architectural Decision Making. Too often, architectural discussions turn -->

Back in a training session today with @evelynvankelle.bsky.social, talking about the book @gienverschatse.com, she, and I co-authored. Today was all about what surfaces when we tackle software design and architecture challenges. A big part of that is resistance. If we want to make sustainable -->

@evelynvankelle.bsky.social and @kenny.weave-it.org discuss how a lot of what's going on in a team is like the unseen part of an iceberg. We only see the surface—the ideas being shared—but beneath the waterline are individual perceptions, emotions, and disagreements.

We've been putting some much-needed love into our virtual DDD community! We're evolving beyond just Domain-Driven Design to become the worldwide online community for designing software to solve complex business problems, organised in a decentralised way. -->

Bridge business needs and IT solutions! @kenny.weave-it.org & Evelyn Van Kelle share facilitation techniques for sustainable design. Watch their talk now and subscribe for more on collaborative design! youtu.be/xOHax5k_wJo #AmABerlin

Software development isn’t just about writing code; it’s about understanding the problem you're solving. A while ago @gienverschatse.com and @kenny.weave-it.org went on the Software Testing Unleashed podcast, hosted by @richard-seidl.com.

Get the 25-book @oreilly.bsky.social @humblebundle.com to not only get my book, #CommunicationPatterns, but also @andrewhl.bsky.social's Facilitating Software Architecture & @dianamontalion.com's Learning Systems Thinking. This triad of books is what you need to boost your software! jcq.me/hbswarch

It's strange to think that patriarchal norms can affect the way we build software, but they do. I'm happy to share that the article my wife, Vanessa, and I wrote has been published in the @nljug.bsky.social Java magazine. It was our first time writing an article together, and it was...

With @kenny.weave-it.org and @andrewhl.bsky.social we are creating a series about our stories on facilitating software architecture. How to move towards decentralisation no matter how your organisation operates (because it might just improve things) We would love your stories too, questions welcome

Together with @roundcrisis.com and @andrewhl.bsky.social, I’ve launched a new series on Facilitating Software Architecture and Design. We’ll share practical ways to decentralize architecture, no matter your role or context. Curious why you’d want to do that? The first episode is out now.

Not all men, but almost every time an act of violence is committed, it's by a man. For women who feel unsafe, "not all men" doesn't help—it's always a man who makes them feel that way. I understand why....

We had the first recording of new content on how to become a facilitating software architect, and it was really fun. If you find this helpful or useful, let me know!

I'm convinced that the biggest reason agile transformations struggle is that we're using the wrong approach. Agile is most effective for complex problems, yet we apply a complicated approach—copy-pasting pre-defined "best practices" from large frameworks—to solve them. 1/3

When teams truly own their domain and design architecture through Domain-Driven Design, combined with Team Topologies and solid Continuous Delivery/DevOps practices, Product Owners get to do so much more actual product management.

So, imagine this: one complex design problem, four different collaborative modeling tools, four facilitators, and 45 minutes to solve it with a group of 8! That was the intense setup Krisztina, ‪@maxsc.bsky.social‬, ‪@hschwentner.bsky.social‬, and I ran at the DDD Europe hands-on labs.

It's a common aspiration, Collaborative software design leading to wonderfully autonomous teams and truly decentralized decisions. Yet, the reality, as ‪@evelynvankelle.bsky.social‬ and ‪@kenny.weave-it.org‬ so thoughtfully discussed at Fast Flow Conf NL, central decisions don't just disappear.

Good news for those interested: my Domain-Driven Design for Product Management course on June 23rd and 24th in Utrecht (in Dutch) is confirmed and running! Meanwhile, I'm heading to Domain-Driven Design Europe today. - 1/

Ever feel like your brain is overflowing when making architectural decisions that impact other teams in the organisation? It's a common challenge, especially as teams become more autonomous. 1/4

I’m seeing it more and more clearly: the way we teach computer science and programming is actually counterproductive to creating the adaptive software that most organizations need to thrive. With the rise of AI, it's becoming undeniable that we're focusing our efforts on the wrong skills. - 1/10

Spend 2-days with @gienverschatse.com last week facilitating domain modelling!

Dear CoMo, My Team Clings to Their Ideas – Help! Well, well, well, isn't that a familiar feeling? Collaborative modelling should be a place where brilliant minds come together, stickies fly, and shared understanding *should* blossom.. Read more : collaborative-software-design.com/dear-como/te...

Teams are part of a larger sociotechnical system. Without a map of this landscape, it's difficult for them to understand the true impact of their architectural decisions on the overall system." This was a core point I dug into during my session at ‪@ndcconferences.com‬ Oslo yesterday, where ... 1/7

@icooper.bsky.social many people say they do domain-driven design, but only few do responsibility driven design. And there is a disconnect there because the design style of DDD follows RDD by @rebeccawb.bsky.social

Something special is happening in two weeks at @dddeu.bsky.social‬. We're running a hands-on session where we'll tackle one problem using four distinct collaborative modelling tools: Domain Storytelling, EventStorming, Wardley Mapping, and Domain Message Flow Modelling.

So, last Friday, we wrapped up our 2-day journey into Strategic Domain-Driven Design and Team Topologies. The final day was all about connecting our designs with the sociotechnical systems they inhabit, picking up from where we left off. We began by employing 1/9

Two weeks ago, Evelyn and I delivered a 2-day training on how to facilitate domain modelling or collaborative modelling decisions, grounded in our book. The journey continued this week with Strategic Domain-Driven Design and Team Topologies, and how to become an enabling architect. 1/6

It's a common refrain that engineering teams sometimes seem hesitant to understanding the domain and business problem and prioritize things like security beyond the immediate task. The perception can be that they're just waiting to start developing. But then you have to wonder, ...

I just finished another 2-day Collaborative Software Design training with @evelynvankelle.bsky.social. It always gets me thinking. We push hard for teams to be autonomous, and that also means they design with their stakeholders, not just for them. It makes sense; they know the problems best. But ..

Never in my life would I have guessed I would do a book signing, but there I was at @amaconf.bsky.social. Thanks, @evelynvankelle.bsky.social and @gienverschatse.com, for writing a book with me and giving me this opportunity!

Conflict, in its simplest form, is just a disagreement. People see it differently and there lies the opportunity in software design, to create a better design and thus product!

A key tension for architects who facilitate between teams right now is knowing precisely what decision-making power you actually hold. Personally, I see my value in pushing that power as much as possible towards the software teams, decentralising it – even giving them the ability to .. A THREAD 1/9

Stop treating software design decisions like they're written in stone! There's no real 'point of no return.' You can always change your mind later. The key is having tight feedback loops to spot a wrong turn ASAP and adapt quickly, before the cost balloons. Design isn't static, neither is context.

🎙️ Better software starts with better conversations. On today’s #GOTOpodcast, @kenny.weave-it.org, Evelyn van Kelle & Gien Verschatse join @settling-mud.bsky.social to talk collaborative software design, bias, shared understanding & when to step back. 🎧 Listen now: gotopia.tech/podcast

Chec-out the full video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9-L...

Hot take maybe? Architects swapping between Enablement and Platform teams seems like a smart move. They learn the real-world collaboration stuff with Enablement, then build platform tools that don't force teams into awkward workflows for sharing architecture. Just build it the way teams need it.

AI is increasingly handling code generation, significantly lowering the cognitive load previously spent on syntax and boilerplate. But let's be clear: this doesn't mean fewer engineers are needed. It might mean a shift away from roles focused purely on coding. Why? Because ....

Excitement and speaker nerves are dueling it out, but generally excitement is winning, because this is who we know will be at ExploreDDD in Denver in April: exploreddd.com/speakers/ And then there’s everyone else attending too. Some who will even join my session, so I get to learn with/from them!

Excited to hear from @kenny.weave-it.org & Evelyn Van Kelle! They’ll explore collaborative software design, aligning business needs with IT solutions and making sustainable design decisions in complex systems.

The final question at yesterday's Team Topologies panel at Agile meets Architecture stuck with me: "What's missing from Team Topologies?" Before answering, I asked the room who'd read @ruthmalan.bsky.social foreword. I was genuinely surprised how few had!

The @teamtopologies.com Topologies panel is happening now! Join @bitboss.bsky.social and experts like @kenny.weave-it.org , @esilva.net and others to discuss the challenges and successes of Team Topologies in practice.

Get a feel for how autonomous teams thrive with the right leadership. Jakob Wolman and @nativewired.com are sharing experiences and key conditions for autonomy at Agile Meets Architecture 2025 now.

Hey Men! Sick of the tired conversations about masculinity, particularly in tech? If you want real change, the first step is becoming an ally against the patriarchy. That's what I talked about today at @amsterdam.voxxeddays.com –1/

Feeling lost in the labyrinth of software design decisions? Do you ever wish you had a trusty set of guiding principles to help your team navigate the complexities of architecture? Well, my dear, you might find solace in the understanding and application of design heuristics. 1/12

Agile meets Architecture 2025 is starting tomorrow! Join us at KulturBrauerei, Berlin. Arrive by public transport. Registration opens at 8:30 AM, April 3. Don’t miss the evening panel and get-together! www.agile-meets-architecture.com/2025/venue-i...